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Hey guys I'm having trouble facing drop pod heavy armies. I've looked up null deployment but am struggling to successfully implement it. I'm never sure what I should put on the table turn 1 and what i should leave in reserve. Also I'm slightly unsure as to whether the autarch needs to be on the table turn 1 to benefit from path of command or can I use with him in reserve? I'd really appreciate any advice.

I face a lot MEQ armies which might explain some of the choices in my list. Pedro Kantor, Sternguard, Grav Centurions, lot of marines with melta guns and grav stuff, all in drop pods are common features in our games. I wanted a skimmer theme with lots of variety, and to avoid being too filthy. I've kept scat bikes to a reasonable 6, though tbh I'd quite like 3 more.


1850 CAD:


HQ

Autarch, Skyrunner, Fusion Pistol, Laser Lance, Banshee Mask

Farseer, Skyrunner, Singing Spear


Troops

3 Windriders w/scatter lasers

3 Windriders w/scatter lasers


Fast Attack

Crimson Hunter Exarch, 2 Star Cannons (MEQ's everywhere, love using him to snipe out meltaguns with precision shots, I don't actually face many other flyers)

2 Hornets 4 pulse lasers

2 Hornets 4 pulse lasers


Heavy Support

Falcon, Shuriken Cannon, Starcannon, Spirit Stones

Fire Prism, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

Lynx, Lynx Pulsar (sonic lance would be better tbh but would be too tailored I think), Starcannon, Ghostwalk Matrix, Spirit stones


Aspect Host (+1BS)

5 Dire Avengers
Wave Serpent, twin linked scatter lasers, shuriken cannon,

5 Fire Dragons including Exarch (ride in falcon)

5 Warp Spiders


TOTAL: 1847pts.

Take 15 Warp Spiders in that Aspect Host, then set up the boards with lots of LoS blocking terrains, put nothing but those Warp Spiders on board. Then the droppod marines will have an very very extreme tough game.

Neophyte2012 wrote:
Take 15 Warp Spiders in that Aspect Host, then set up the boards with lots of LoS blocking terrains, put nothing but those Warp Spiders on board. Then the droppod marines will have an very very extreme tough game.

Yeah...I don't want to be that guy though. These are just friendly beer and pretzel games. Can you think of anything I can do with that list?

Get an Autarch and reserve a bunch of stuff. Hide the Autarch behind a couple of Wave Serpents and a single WK. WK and Wave Serpents are the middle finger to drop lists.

That's a friendly beer and pretzels list?

lllllllordy. Anyway, I second the last guy. Warp Spiders are basically the way to go with "what to put on the ground initially". Commonly drop podded units are very bad at killing them.

a friendly beer an pretzels running a full drop pod list... dude sounds like a dick.

Well we're tournament fantasy players who normally go 110% in terms of list building but then get drunk and have a laugh during the game. It's how we like it. He's a really good guy I have no issue with him bringing a strong list, I just need to learn to compete like I do in fantasy.

Thanks for the tip with the warp spiders. Don't really want to take more than one unit. Realistically how many things do I need to put down to survive 4 drop pods on turn 1? Am thinking the Wave Serpent with avengers, Spiders and if I can hide him well enough the Autarch. Or is that just asking to get tabled?

ahh... my bad I assume beer and pretzels league means fluffy fun lists. striking scorpions could probably weather some of the storm as well. you could also run an aegis backed near the table edge and hid some guardians or dire avengers there on the turret. maybe even do some dark reapers hidden out of los from most angles then come up and boom high str ap3. I would also advise a few wave serpents with rear armor near the edge so you can weather the storm of initial dropping.

Hmm well it's looking like making this skimmer army work against the deep striking bonanza of power armour is going to be tough. Been reading up on the shadowstrike formation my friend will be using with his raven guard army, holy crap; those vanguard veterans look unstoppable. My poor Lynx will be dying a lot I think even with deep strike. May have to change the falcon to another wave serpent which I didn't really want to do.

Another option (albeit a pretty filthy one imo) is to ally the pale hosts formation, take 3 warp spider units as core with an autarch, which would let me take a hornet swarm (free jink on the turn they arrive from reserve) and a skyhunter formation (gives lynx a 4+ cover save on the turn it arrives from deep strike; pretty awesome). However lost the aspect host bonuses which are fairly significant.


Combined Arms Detachment

HQ:

Farseer, jetbike

Troops:

3 x Scat bikes

3 x Scat bikes

5 Dire Avengers
Wave Serpent, Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon


Fast Attack:

Crimson Hunter Exarch, Starcannons


Heavy Support:

Fire Prism, shuriken cannon, spirit stones

Falcon, Star Cannon, Shuriken Cannon, spirit stones


Craftworld Warhost Detachment:

Pale Court Battlehost, Aspect Lord Shrine, Hall of Martial Splendour:


Autarch, Swooping Hawk Wings, Fusion Gun

5 Warp Spiders including Exarch

5 Warp Spiders including Exarch

5 Warp Spiders including Exarch


Hornet Swarm
3 Hornets each with 2 pulse lasers

Skyhunter Squadron
Lynx, Pulsar, ghostwalk matrix, spirit stones


This way can deploy the warp spiders and wave serpent turn 1. Use jumps to hopefully survive, then beta strike. Although this list isn't exactly friendly... Run telepathy on farseer for potential 2+ cover saves on lynx and/or hornets.

What do you think?

Would a VSG help?

VSG would probably help but I want to keep the eldar skimmer theme.

This is the list I would like to run:


Autarch, Swooping Hawk Wings, Fusion Gun

Farseer, Jetbike


3 Jetbikes with scatter lasers

3 Jetbikes with scatter lasers

9 Dire Avengers including Exarch with shimmershield
Wave Serpent, twin linked shuriken cannon, shuriken cannon


2 Hornets, each with 2 pulse lasers

2 Hornets, each with 2 pulse lasers


Falcon, Starcannon, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stone

Fire Prism, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stone


Aspect Host (+1BS):

5 Warp Spiders including Exarch

6 Swooping Hawks including Exarch

3 Dark Reapers including Exarch with Tempest Launcher (ride in falcon)


Skyhunter Squadron:

Lynx, Spirit Stone, Ghostwalk Matrix

1850pts

The dark reapers would be interchangeable with fire dragons, shining spears (change autarch to skyrunner with lance) or even shadow spectres. Unfortunately I don't think this list could take a 4 drop pod alpha strike. My options for null deployment are basically just the warp spiders and the dire avengers in the wave serpent.

effective as an aegis could be, would you consider a tidewall shieldline? pathfinders behind could be entertaining. While you are non tau, and won't be able to reroll ones, you still would be able to move it (like a skimmer), and gain the benefits of the 'reflected shots' rule