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Hi all, so there's not really any Titans in my list, sorry. However their guard is here, I based my list around a core of 20 Secutarii Peltasts. 20 because they're sold by 10 and I'm trying to keep my list wallet-friendly so no waste if possible.

I'm looking to have a nice fluffy list without too much allies, that can deal with all kinds of lists, so really a fluffied TAC list. My meta has Eldar Scatterbikes, Thunderwolves, Obliterator-heavy Iron Warriors, Necrons and the other classics. I've never played higher than a few games of 1350 or lower so I have no idea if this is a nice list to deal with the stuff you can find at those games. Whatever, here it is:

Battle Congregation:

1 Techpriest Dominus, Raiment of the Technomartyr, Stasis Field, Infoslave Skull - 160
3 Kataphron Destroyers, Heavy Grav, Cognis Flamers - 180
3 Kataphron Breachers, Heavy Arc Rifles - 150
1 Kastelan Maniple, 3 Robots, two with Heavy Phosphor Blasters and Incendine Combustor, and one with Power Fists and Heavy Phosphor Blasters - 435

Skitarii Maniple:

10 Vanguards, Phosphor Blaster, Taser Goad, Refractor Field 5++, 1 Plasma Caliver - 150 pts
5 Rangers, Omnispex - 75
20 Secutarii Peltasts, Refractor Field 5++, Omniscient Mask, Omnispex - 265
2 Sydonian Dragoons, Taser Lances - 90
3 Onager Dunecrawlers, two with Neutron Lasers, one with Eradication Ray, 3 additional Cognis Heavy Stubbers, 1 Mindscanner Probe - 345

The Warlord Techpriest should accompany the Vanguards and tank with the Stasis field if under too much deadly dakka (I can choose if the wounds are allocated to him as long as he's the closest, right ?). With the Raiment of the Technomartyrs, the consequent snapfiring due to going to ground will be upped to BS2, which is nice I believe. The Skull is here to up the Ld to 10.

The Rangers will most likely be ignored I think, and will stalk through ruins (we almost never play with anything else than ruins at the LGS) to a nice shooting spot, or to grab an objective. The Dragoons will lock in CC anything that shoots too much, like vehicles or Imperial Knights. If none of those targets are available they can still crush a unit anytime.

The Secutarii Peltasts will be my main source of firepower, a big block of 20 with Zealot, coupled with their Kyropatris Field Generators should be more durable than 10 Vanguards (why can't we do bigger units with those ?). However I never played with a unit that size, can it be problematic to manoeuver ? In any case, their shooting options allow me to deal with any kind of enemy I trust, from hordes to MEQ, cover-abusing units not forgotten (I'm looking at you, Eldars). If they can't fire on anything worthy, there's still the option to give a 5+ cover save to anything 18" of them (hello 3+ cover-saved Dragoons).

Behind the Secutarii will be the squad off Dunecrawlers, armed to the teeth to deal with anything the Peltasts can't shoot, like MCs or just vehicles in general. I'm mildly afraid of deviating blasts, but I trust my Doctrines to mitigate that, with a higher BS it should limit the risk. The Mindscanner should be nice to prevent them getting murdered in CC as well, by removing the bonus attack from charging foes.

The Kataphron force is here to deal with anything else really, the Breachers can reliably down a vehicle from 36" away, and if they don't, I still have 18 Grav shots to at least immobilise transports.

And finally the Kastelan Robots. They're here to be a threat and bullet magnet, so that the enemy can't focus my Peltasts without having another menace heading its way. I think they can do well with this armament. I didn't have the points to make a correct Cybernetica without having to do some mumbo-jumbo to fit the Kataphrons and still be Battleforged.

Any thoughts on this ? Am I outfitted to deal with almost anything ? I fear not having enough dudes to capture objective but it's an omnipresent fear that won't go away no matter what Thanks in advance for your answers and your time !

I don't think you can take peltasts in a skitarii battle maniple. Its pretty specific what units you can take.

It's the Skitarii Maniple, the standard Detachment consisting of a tax of 2 Troops minimum, not the Battle Maniple, which requires one of each unit. I confuse detachments names regularly with the AdMech too, don't worry :p

20 peltasts are overkill the vast majority of the time and as you say hard to maneuver, i've started running 2 units of 15 when i used them competitive, its a much better option if you can fork out for another 10. They still kill whatever they shoot at 99% of the time unless its high armour vehicles.

I'd suggest an omnispex on a 5 man ranger squad is a waste of points, they dont put out enough firepower to make it worthwhile, The pistol and taser goad on the vanguard alpha are also pretty pointless in my experience. Try dropping them and adding more special weapons and you'll get much more out of those units.

Also i know what you're going for but i'd always splash out the extra points and just go for 3 neutron laser dunecrawlers.

Thanks for you suggestions ! I wrote another list more based on the Skitarii side. I know they're not as resilient but in the end I prefer to pay for models I like than the meh-looking Kataphrons. So here's another one based on my tastes and your suggestions:

Skitarii Maniple:

10 Vanguards, Refractor Field 5++, 1 Plasma Caliver, Omnispex - 145 pts
10 Vanguards, Refractor Field 5++, Arc Pistol, Arc Maul, 3 Arc Rifles - 180 pts
5 Rangers - 55
15 Secutarii Peltasts, Refractor Field 5++, Omniscient Mask, Omnispex - 225 WARLORD
2 Sydonian Dragoons, Taser Lances - 90
3 Onager Dunecrawlers with Neutron Lasers, 3 additional Cognis Heavy Stubbers, 1 Mindscanner Probe - 370

Allied Detachment:

1 Techpriest Dominus, Raiment of the Technomartyr, Stasis Field, Infoslave Skull - 160
3 Kataphron Destroyers, Heavy Grav, Cognis Flamers - 180
1 Kastelan Maniple, 3 Robots, two with Heavy Phosphor Blasters and Incendine Combustor, and one with Power Fists and Heavy Phosphor Blasters - 435

I know using a 1W model as Warlord is like really risky, but I'll put the buffed-up Dominus in there to tank big wounds and will have the unit go to ground to activate the 2++ of the Dominus if needed. As before, the relic will assure BS2 following that. The Skitarii Warlord traits are really all interesting, except Eternal Warrior in this case of course. I made a second Vanguard unit to carry the Arc Rifles, the Alpha is full Haywire too, because I built him that way and I'm more comfortable in being WYSIWYG. I reduced the Peltasts unit because yeah, they're definitely too big. They'll still have plenty of shooting, with Preferred Enemy to boot. Added a Neutron Laser as suggested, you're right, in my heart I always wanted another S10 AP1 blast template

How about switching the Allied Detachment out for a Cybernetica Cohort? You're only one Kastellan away from having the four needed.

Depending on load-out, you might be able to squeeze in another Plasma Caliver to your Vanguard unit too.

Thought about that, but the problem is I don't have the Techpriest in my Secutarii or Vanguard unit to tank for. Yes of course I'd have another scary unit, and that's an interesting way to play, especially because I love Kastelan Robots. Anyway, I still have to work on a list with a psyker Inquisitor in it too, enemy psykers are a big problem and one of the cause of my defeat streak at my LGS, I need something to Deny the Witch efficiently.

I thought about an Ordo Xenos inquisitor with a Conversion Beamer, expensive but powerful, would need to be as far away as possible. If I want another IC to tank for my Vanguards or Secutarii there's the less fluffy option of a Terminator Ordo Malleus Inquisitor. Greyfax might be another option but I need to read her rules again.

EDIT: or a Culexus ?

I loved the idea of the stasis field tank that snapfired at BS2. I fear it may be too situational, or that in may be very good on the other hand. And Allied Detachment is the only way for me to include a Dominus.

Given, a decent Cohort Cybernetica with the Autocaduceus that gives IWND and the Raiment of the Technomartyr would be a real scary unit too, might attract even more fire and charges to them instead of my Secutarii force.

 Aaranis wrote:
And Allied Detachment is the only way for me to include a Dominus.

The start collecting dominus maniple is another great way to include a second tech priest

Tomoai wrote:

 Aaranis wrote:
And Allied Detachment is the only way for me to include a Dominus.

The start collecting dominus maniple is another great way to include a second tech priest

You're right, but as the formation says "ONE Onager Dunecrawler" I'd have to run a two Dunecrawlers squad + one from the formation. It has its advantages (like shooting at anything else) but reduces the Invu to 5+ for the squad.

 Aaranis wrote:

You're right, but as the formation says "ONE Onager Dunecrawler" I'd have to run a two Dunecrawlers squad + one from the formation. It has its advantages (like shooting at anything else) but reduces the Invu to 5+ for the squad.

I edited my post above to include the list, the benefit is the lone dunecrawler gets a 5+ cover save hiding behind the other two.

That's a good idea. I could outfit it with the Icarus Array to deal with Flyers, too. I'm currently working on another list at 1850 points, but I'll definitely build one with your idea. I just dislike not having a full unit of 10 so I'll switch some stuff to fit all of them in

Thanks again ! You sure being hidden behind a friendly model gives a 5+ and not just a +1 to the cover save ?

EDIT: I think I'll just make a 2000 pts list straight away, it's simpler for me and requires the same purchases. I'll drop the idea of the tanky Techpriest for now, and run a Cohort Cybernetica with a Skitarii Maniple and one Culexus Assassin.

Sounds like you're on your way to putting some in the win column.

Haha let's hope so ! That'll take time to buy and paint all this. My meta is not all competitive, but everyone loves their big scary unit and deathstars, so I have to adjust ! I think the IWND Cohort Cybernetica and the Culexus will make a big difference.

Reminds me I have to add 2 to the loss column...