#list building

Perfection.

As a trench crusade player, I really enjoy the different strengths and weaknesses each faction is given. New Antioch is best at midrange, melee is best in trench pilgrims, ect. My favorite faction though, the iron sultanate, I think are missing this kind of specialization. I want to write about the games balance and how the iron sultunate fits into it.

The Iron Sultunate are the Jack of all trades faction, being decent in melee and good at range but not really excelling in either area. Their lack of anti armor is a big weakness, and I think is what stops them from becoming strongly one way or the other. There’s no anti material rifle pushing Iron Sultanate to be ranged or an anti tank hammer pushing them into melee. This isn’t a bad thing though and I think it can make more of the units a tempting choice than they would be in other armies.

The whole Sultanate roster is low synergistically with units of medium impact. Their roster is kinda like Heretic legions but all of their units are slightly worse in terms of raw damage and survivability. They make up for this by having more accurate attacks and middle power options. Siege Jezzails are much worse than artillery witch and anti material rifle shooting, but much better than the mid tier options available to the Heretic Legion. Jaberian lions and Janessaries are worse in melee than a war wolf but much better than low tier Heretic Troopers. In the same vein they aren’t as tanky as many units, but they have cheap effective abilities like the -1 die to injury on the artificial creatures. This lack of strong synergy means they can have afford to have multiple units with different roles and not be weaker for it. A heavy shooting list may ignore their melee units due to the naturally anti synergy of shooting into melee. At the same time an army like Trench Pilgrims may leave dedicated shooting units at the door to focus more on their powerful melee options.

The Iron Sultunate more than I think any other faction has a lot of incentive to put ducats into melee and ranged. You likely will be worse at ranged or in melee compared to your opponent, but better than them in another area. Leveraging this into an advantage is critical in games, as it will change drastically how you approach each match. I’ve had games where I’ve sprinted up the board to get right into the face of a heretic legion player to remove their artillery witch and flamethrower unit, and I’ve had games where I’ve held back and played cagey to out range a heavy shotgun and greatsword heavy New Antioch force. Having a mix of combat types is key for vanilla new Antioch, and will really help to keep up against more powerful enemies.

Hello! I'm a Battletech player lucky enough to have an active community at my FLGS but I am also a massive nerd who loves building lists that I may or may not use.

My group's standard format is 5000 BV for Classic and 250 PL for Alpha Strike. Because I'm super open to pickup games either in place of or after a scheduled game I make 2 lists. And now I'm going to infodump about what I'm bringing and why!

First up is my Classic list because it's smaller and (relatively) simpler. From left to right I am bringing a Warhawk (in Clan Sea Fox colors), a Vindicator (House Marik), a Hunchback (sporting my own Free Worlds Wolves urban scheme), and a Locust (again in FWW livery).

I own 2 Warhawks. Despite this, I've never actually run one because most models are like 3000 points and I don't feel comfortable sinking 60% of my roster's value in a single mech. Thankfully, the model A only costs 2,399 points and features one of my favorite weapons: the LB-X 10 (Mech-sized scattergun).

Due to the sheer cost of the Warhawk, my next choices needed to be more thrifty. I chose the Vindicator because I have a bit of a soft spot for it. It was the first mech I played with when I got the beginner's box and was one of the first mechs I painted. The PPC and LRMs didn't hurt either.

Next was the Hunchback. I love this thing. Just a big ol boi with an AC 20 or as I like to refer to it "the pilot check gun." Every time the 20 hits, there is a chance the target topples over and eats shit. That's too great to pass up.

Finally, there is the Locust. I'm running the 1-V for both sentimental and practical reasons. A) Locusts are dead cheap. B) because they're so cheap no one expects them to do something awesome!

All told I think this list is pretty well-rounded. The Warhawk and Vindicator bring the long-range pain while the Hunchback is a compelling reason to stay back and the Locust is an excellent, annoying linebreaker.

So that's Classic, but what about Alpha Strike I don't hear you mention? Well!

BEHOLD!

The entire conceit of this list is that I had vehicles and wanted to use them in an actual game. So I am running 1 Vehicle Lance and 2 Mech Lances.

The Vehicle Lance is a Recon formation consisting of 3 machine Gun Heavy APCs and a Rommel Tank. As a Recon Lance, they'll be forward observers. For what you may wonder? Well....

For my Fire Support Lance! This Lance features a Javelin (House Kurita), a Howler (Clan Ghost Bear), a Valkyrie (Highlander Camo), and a Horned Owl (Clan Snow Raven). The Fire Support Lance allows these mechs to fire indirectly at targets designated by the Recon Lance.

Finally, there is the Command Lance! The commander is in the All-Powerful Urbanmech (also Kurita), supported by an Enforcer (house Marik), a Trebuchet (tragically unpainted), and a Hunchback again (because I love them). The command is meant to provide frontline fighters as well as playing shenanigans with initiative and firing.

worked on my slayers a bit more tonight. The list itself is a bit of a meme build, the idea is to go with Greyfyrd (which buffs foot heroes) and then take as many foot heroes as possible. My only infantry squads are minimum hearthguard retinues, the whole list is about 26 miniatures.

Lorewise, they're the remnants of the lodge that became the Chaos Dwarfs of Ekrund-Zul. When the rest of their kin fell to the ice curse, they found themselves exiled and took the Slayer Oath as a clan to atone for their shame. Now they wander the realms as highly elite mercenaries seeking ur-gold and redemption.

To start, here's the list for the army.

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Adeptus Astartes - Imperial Fists) [101 PL, 12CP, 1,990pts] ++

+ Configuration +

**Chapter Selection**: Imperial Fists Successor, Indomitable, Warded

Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)

Detachment Command Cost

+ HQ +

Captain in Gravis Armour [8 PL, 155pts]: Chapter Command: Chapter Master, Stubborn Heroism, The Armour Indomitus, Warlord

Primaris Chaplain [5 PL, 85pts]: 3. Exhortation of Rage, Litany of Hate

Primaris Librarian [5 PL, 95pts]: 4) Fortify, 5) Aspect of Stone

+ Troops +

Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle

. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant

Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle

. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant

Heavy Intercessor Squad [7 PL, 140pts]: Heavy bolt rifle

. 4x Heavy Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 110pts]: Astartes Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle

. 4x Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

. Intercessor Sergeant: Power sword

+ Elites +

Bladeguard Veteran Squad [5 PL, 105pts]

. 2x Bladeguard Veteran: 2x Frag & Krak grenades, 2x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 2x Master-crafted power sword, 2x Storm Shield

. Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant: Heavy Bolt Pistol

Bladeguard Veteran Squad [5 PL, 105pts]

. 2x Bladeguard Veteran: 2x Frag & Krak grenades, 2x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 2x Master-crafted power sword, 2x Storm Shield

. Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant: Heavy Bolt Pistol

Invictor Tactical Warsuit [8 PL, 160pts]: Incendium cannon

Primaris Apothecary [5 PL, 95pts]: Chapter Command: Chief Apothecary

Redemptor Dreadnought [9 PL, 185pts]: 2x Fragstorm Grenade Launchers, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Icarus Rocket Pod, Onslaught Gatling Cannon

+ Heavy Support +

Eradicator Squad [7 PL, 135pts]: Melta rifle

. 2x Eradicator: 2x Bolt pistol

. Eradicator Sgt

Eradicator Squad [7 PL, 135pts]: Melta rifle

. 2x Eradicator: 2x Bolt pistol

. Eradicator Sgt

Gladiator Lancer [11 PL, 205pts]: 2x Storm Bolters, Icarus Rocket Pod

++ Total: [101 PL, 12CP, 1,990pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)

So there’s a lot going on, I get that, let’s go over it (quickly) line by line. Starting with the chapter tactics and parent chapter.

I didn’t pick Imperial Fists for any particular reason I just like a few of their warlord traits and relics that I ultimately didn’t end up using much of anyway. The major attribute we wanted was the chapter trait “Warded”. It gives our whole army 5+++ (Whenever a model would lose a wound roll a d6 and on a 5+ that would is instead not lost)! It’s the Death Guard they have to have their feel no pains. Indomitable is just because I’m lazy and don’t want to take morale tests.

The captain was definitely the most difficult to build considering I want him to be the legendary Nathaniel Garro. I went with a Gravis Captain to parallel a lot of Death Guard HQs being Cataphractii armor. Otherwise I just made him as impossibly difficult to kill as I could. 2+/4++/5+++ makes for a nightmare of a Chapter Master. On top of his Warlord trait that halves all damage rounded up, his relic letting him have a 3++, toughness 5 and 8 wounds means he should be sticking around for ever. Not super flavor filled with some of Garro’s actual feeds but I wanted to stay within the rules.

Side note: I really love the implementation of the custom chapter master rules and implementations in 9th edition.

The chaplain is kind of whatever. They’re not bad, I have one from the Indomitus box set, and it was the perfect amount of points. The librarian however was to be the parallel for the all too infamous Malignant Plaguecaster in Death Guard proper. I read at some point that Imperial Fists had a psychic ability that gives a minus one to hit on a unit but when looking back over it I can’t seem to find it. That being said being able to heal a unit from 12” away is still really good and keeps the theme of staying power.

The troops were at first a little difficult but with the introduction of Heavy Intercessors, we have the perfect candidate. Toughness 5, 5” movement and a 5+++ sound familiar to anyone? I grabbed the Killteam box set that had a squad of these guys just to get my hands on them. The squad of standard intercessors is more for points than theme or utility but the sergent has a power sword which I thought was good flavor seeing as its Garro’s Death Guard.

The elites were another cramped and difficult section to go through. Two squads of Bladeguards shores up any glaring weakness I would have in melee and a perfect representation of loyalist Deathshrouds. The Warsuit was another one of those models that I picked because I had one lying around and was super excited to paint it. The Apothecary was a no brainer in so many ways. Being the parallel to the Plague Surgeon and just one of the best models in Space Marines right now made it the fastest inclusion of the whole list. Finally the dreadnought, it was included sort of as an homage to the fact that Death Guard proper can’t take any kind of dreadnoughts aside from the Contemptor variety otherwise just another model I thought would be fun to paint.

Eradicators are an auto include. If I had to give them a parallel maybe Myphitic Blighthaulers but in reality, I had one squad from Indomitus and they’re just too good not to use. Last but not least is the Gladiator Lancer, a model I’m still not wildly sold on. I scoured the entire Space Marine line up for a Plagueburst Crawer type tank and the model that works the most similar, the Whirlwind, looks nothing like the Crawlers and I wanted a more aesthetic comparison that a mechanical one thus leading me to the tank with the biggest barrel. At a whopping 200 points base for a smaller cannon than a Repulsor Executioner its a tough sell when compared to other Gladiator variants. Still though, a tank with a big barrel is the look we’re going for.

Noticeably absent from this list are any form of fast attack or flyers. Death Guard proper lack those things (barring the Foetid Bloat Drones) and I thought it flavorful to keep the army slow and grounded. I doubt I’ll ever add any kind of model that is fast and/or flys but if something comes out that is just a one to one of the Bloat Drones I could be convinced.

I recognize that lists are not as flashy or fun to look at when compared to kitbashing or painting but having direction is important for my completion and ultimately I want to chronicle the whole process.

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