1850 Militarum Tempestus/ Imperial Guard ITC

[howscat]

After a 3 year break from playing in a tournament I am finally getting back into it. I don't expect to win very many games but, I intend to learn about the current meta. I am bringing two formations (Scion Ground Assault Formation, Emperors Blade Assault Formation). Both formations are heavily mechanized that specialize in close range shooting. This force will have to be played very aggressively and thus I plan to place objectives on the center line of the table and mostly deploy center forward. The big weakness of this list is no reliable anti-air fire outside of twin linked and no psychic support. I appreciate your feedback.




'Ground Assault Formation' (976pts)


Commissar

Carapace Armour, Close Combat Weapon, Lord Commissar, Plasma Pistol, Warlord



Militarum Tempestus Command Squad

4x Tempestus Scion w/ Plasma Gun

Tempestor Prime

Close Combat Weapon, Plasma Pistol



Militarum Tempestus Scions

4x Tempestus Scion, 2x Tempestus Scion w/ Meltagun

Tempestor

Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon



Militarum Tempestus Scions

4x Tempestus Scion, 2x Tempestus Scion w/ Meltagun

Tempestor

Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon



Militarum Tempestus Scions

4x Tempestus Scion, 2x Tempestus Scion w/ Plasma Gun

Tempestor

Close Combat Weapon, Plasma Pistol



Taurox Prime

Searchlight, Twin-linked Hot-shot Volley Gun, Twin-linked Taurox Gatling Cannon

Taurox Prime

Searchlight, Twin-linked Hot-shot Volley Gun, Twin-linked Taurox Gatling Cannon

Taurox Prime

Searchlight, Twin-linked Hot-shot Volley Gun, Twin-linked Taurox Gatling Cannon

Taurox Prime

Searchlight, Twin-linked Hot-shot Volley Gun, Twin-linked Taurox Gatling Cannon




Emperor's Blade Assault Company (872pts)


Company Command Squad

Carapace Armour, 2x Veteran w/ Plasma Gun

Chimera

Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer

Company Commander

Carapace Armour, Close Combat Weapon, HoC: Wrath of Cadia, Orders



Laspistol

Veteran w/ Regimental Standard

Laspistol & Close Combat Weapon, Regimental Standard

Veteran w/ Vox-caster

Laspistol & Close Combat Weapon



Hellhound Squadron

Hellhound

Dozer Blade, Heavy Flamer, Searchlight



Veterans

Grenadiers, Veteran w/ Heavy Flamer, 2x Veteran w/ Meltagun, 5x Veteran w/ Shotgun

Chimera

Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer

Veteran Sergeant

Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon

Veteran w/ Vox-caster

Shotgun



Veterans

Grenadiers, Veteran w/ Heavy Flamer, 2x Veteran w/ Meltagun, 5x Veteran w/ Shotgun

Chimera

Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer

Veteran Sergeant

Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon

Veteran w/ Vox-caster

Shotgun



Veterans

Grenadiers, Veteran w/ Heavy Flamer, 2x Veteran w/ Meltagun, 5x Veteran w/ Shotgun

Chimera

Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer

Veteran Sergeant

Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon

Veteran w/ Vox-caster

Shotgun


I know I have made some controversial choices for some players so let me address the reasons for them. I have played with the Taurox Prime with all of its different weapon styles and in use I have found the gatling cannon is the best choice when it is being used aggressively. The battle cannon looks decent on paper but in practice is the weakest of the weapons choices. The missile launcher is a good weapon but you always want to use it at its maximum effective range because it is on such a fragile frame. Those scions should not be sitting in the backfield not utilizing their firepower all game and, if I wanted backfield firepower I would take tanks or artillery.



Why do I take the heavy flamer with melta guns? The first reason is that I can only shoot two weapons out the top hatch of a chimera and when they go tank hunting I would rather them be inside their metal box while doing so. The second reason is for overwatch. If that chimera gets charged that heavy flamer pops out and puts down the wall of flame. Last reason is that these guys should be aggressively going for objectives. The majority of the time enemy infantry will be holding the objective in cover. The best option for removing them is with that heavy flamer to stack on those wounds. I understand taking another Hellhound except that the Hellhound is a tax unit. for the same cost of that Hellhound I could take two Wyverns which are a better unit but, then I lose the preferred enemy for my units that the formation gives.



Why the Heavy Bolters over the Multilaser? Its a personal preference that I prefer the better AP over the +1 Strength. Players end up shooting multilasers at light vehicles which they are really ineffective at unless it is armor 10. I would rather target light infantry and remove their armor save and force them to make cover or go to ground.



Lastly the standard. Yes, the platoon standard is garbage and I would never take it. The regimental standard provides leadership buffs that the veterans need. Those veterans will be taking casualties and being forced to take moral tests. If that standard can keep one meltagun vet from running away or being pined it will have paid for itself. The guard need leadership buffs to stay on the table and the only effective way to do that in this case is with a standard.



Thanks for your input and I hope that clarifies some of the choices I made.

[treadiculous]

Very solidly assembled army list - you give good reasons to your choices.

any chance of pics?

[howscat]

So I just finished the practice game and I lost. I was facing a drop pod Blood Angels army. My opponent won the deployment roll off and gave me first turn so as to waste my first turn of shooting. I deployed center forward with the Scions and side forward with the IG. the Plan was to scatter my forces across the table so his units could only hit one unit at a time.... then he seized the initiative. At that point I knew I had lost the game. Tun one he blew up 2 taurox primes and 2 chimeras and killed one scion. I had some very bad luck and even with re-rolling my pining checks was left with the majority of my army snap shooting. My turn one I ripped into his army leaving him with 1 sternguard vet and 2 drop pods on the field. Turn 2 the rest of his drop pods landed surrounding my forces and destroying the majority of the guardsman. I counter attacked with my Scions opening a whole in their lines. Turn 3 he began assaulting my scions but I managed to move my hellhound and IG command squad through the blood angels lines to safety. The game ended turn 5. I had a undamaged hellhound, undamaged chimera with the IG command squad and, a single Scion on the table. My opponent had 3 tac squads and 4 drop pods left on the table. The play of the game was that last Scion. He was the soul survivor of his unit, passed leadership, and was charged by 3 death company marines. He killed two of them in overwatch and my opponent whiffed his close combat attacks. That lone Scion punched the death company marine in the face, killing him, and winning the combat.

We ended up tying on tactical objectives with my opponent winning with first blood and slay the warlord. We had 6 other experienced players observe the game and we discussed in depth what happened. My target priority was on point despite some bad rolling with my melta guns. If I had been able to move my vehicles turn one and spread out he could not have hit them but instead he was able to hit them when they were all bunched up in my deployment zone rendering my movement speed useless.

What could I have done differently?

[nutty]

Hard to tell without having been there... your opponent definitely had the dice on his side for the first part of the game: winning the roll-off, seizing, and having all(?) His reserves come in on turn 2.

Pod armies are a pain if you play guard, but an army like yours is going to have even more trouble. A platoon can spread out and deny a decent chunk of the board to deepstrikers.. but 5 chimera hulls and a handfull of tauroxes? Your opponent can land wherever the heck he wants.

Although I usually have a bunch of infantry in my lists, I try and keep a unit or two in reserve vs pod-lists. You should be able to outgun them first turn anyway. And the reserves can come in to patch holes where the pods hit... that won't do much if your opponent gets lucky like that though.