Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Minotaurs 1850 tourney list

This is a list I would like to try in a tournament setting at 1850points, it seems like a lot of tourneys are at this point level.

HQ -

Librarian w/null zone and smite
100

Elites -

Dreadnought with 2 twinlinked autocannons
125

Dreadnought with 2 twinlinked autocannons
125

5 Sternguard with 5 combi-plasmas
in Rhino
185

Troops -

9 marines with Missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with combi-melta
in rhino
220

9 marines with Missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with combi-melta
in rhino
220

9 marines with Missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with combi-melta
in rhino
220

9 marines with Missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with combi-melta
in rhino
220

Fast Attack -

Landspeeder with Typhoon Missile Launcher
90

Landspeeder with Typhoon Missile Launcher
90

Heavy Support -

Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters
85

Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters
85

Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters
85

so we got

8 missile launcher shots
4 twin linked autocannons
3 autocannons
8 heavy bolters
5 plasmaguns
8 meltagun shots

12 vehicles

46 infantry
8 scoring units

22 KPs

TACTICS

Combat squad the marines, put 5 man squads with missile launcher in deployment zone in cover if possible.

Librarian goes with sternguard.

Five rhinos move up the field and pop smoke in the middle.

Everything shoots at transports turn one. Meltas hit heavy transports turn 2. Sternguard and Libby take care of heavily armored infantry.

Monday, March 28, 2011

The MInotaurs: 4,000 pts.

This is the list I will be building to. It is Using the Vanguard Siege Army list from The Badab War book II.

HQ -

Lord Asterion Moloc
235 pts.

Elites -

Ironclad Dreadnought w/ 2 hunterkiller missiles and chainfist
155 pts.

Ironclad Dreadnought w/ 2 hunterkiller missiles and chainfist
155 pts.

7 Assault Terminators 3 with 2 Lightning Claws, 4 with Thunderhammers and Storm Shields.
280 pts.
in Landraider Crusader with multimelta
260 pts.

Troops -

9 marines with missile launcher and plasma gun
1 sarge with powerfist
all with siege mantlets
250 pts.

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist
in rhino with hunterkiller and dozer blade
250 pts

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist
in rhino with hunterkiller and dozer blade
250 pts

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist
in rhino with hunterkiller and dozer blade
250 pts

9 Siege Assualt Marines with 2 power weapons
1 sarge with powerfist
in Landraider Redeemer with multimelta
470 pts.

9 Siege Assualt Marines with 2 power weapons
1 sarge with powerfist
in Landraider Redeemer with multimelta
470 pts.

Heavy Support -

Land Raider Achilles
325 pts.

Land Raider Achilles
325 pts.

Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts.

Predator Squadron ( 2 preds)
Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts.
Predator with autocannon and 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts.

total - 3960 pts.

Minotaurs Army Lists

The first two lists I will post up here are at 2,000 points.

The first list is my 2,000 pt. "Tournament List"
Its codex legal and I would bring it to any tourney and feel competitive.

HQ -

Librarian w/ terminator armor and storm shield, null zone and avenger
140 pts

Elites -

5 assault terminators - 2 with lightning claws, 3 with thunder hammer and storm shields
200 pts

dreadnought with 2 twin linked autocannons
125 pts

dreadnought with 2 twin linked autocannons
125 pts

Troops -

9 marines with missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with meltabombs and combi-meltagun
in rhino with hunter killer
235 pts

9 marines with missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with meltabombs and combi-meltagun
in rhino with hunter killer
235 pts

9 marines with missile launcher and meltagun
1 sarge with meltabombs and combi-meltagun
in rhino with hunter killer
235 pts

5 scouts with sniper rifles, camo cloaks, and one heavy bolter
100 pts

Fast Attack -

land speeder with multimelta and heavy flamer
70 pts

land speeder with multimelta and heavy flamer
70 pts

2 land speeders with typhoon missile launchers and heavy bolters
180 pts

Heavy Support -

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

2,000 pts total.

so 6 HKs
9 heavy bolters
3 autocannons
4 twinlinked autocannons
7 missile launchers
6 meltaguns


I really like this list its got long range suppression fire, short range melta and medium range melta, its got hard hitting hth objective grabbing and vehicles.
Its great for a turn one alpha strike.

Its all about popping transports on turn 1 if i accomplish that right away, the rest of the game is cake for me.

This second list is a more in your face type army which is not tourney legal because of Moloc, who is The Minotaurs Chapter Master and is a forgeworld special character.

HQ -

Lord Asterion Moloc
235 pts

Elites -

5 assault terminators - 2 with lightning claws, 3 with thunder hammer and storm shields
200 pts

Dreadnought with multimelta
105 pts

Dreadnought with multimelta
105 pts

Troops -

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist and bolter
in rhino with hunter killer and dozer blade
250 pts

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist and bolter
in rhino with hunter killer and dozer blade
250 pts

9 marines with multimelta and meltagun
1 sarge with powerfist and bolter
in rhino with hunter killer and dozer blade
250 pts

Fast Attack -

land speeder with multimelta and heavy flamer
70 pts

land speeder with multimelta and heavy flamer
70 pts

2 land speeders with typhoon missile launchers and heavy bolters
180 pts

Heavy Support -

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

Predator with autocannon 2 heavy bolters and hunter killer missile
95 pts

2,000 points total.

This second list is similar to the first so I don't have to buy lots of different models! The difference here i feel is that its more in you face. I always move into midfield with this list, the previous one i may hang back for a turn with. The dozers are there to free me up from worrying about DT tests with the rhinos, I can move them forward no matter what.


Let me know your thoughts.

The Minotaurs

So I recently bought The Badab War Books I + II from Forgeworld and I've decided on building a new army. The Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter is my newest army.



BACKGROUND INFO
The Minotaurs were initially part of the Cursed 21st Founding. They disappeared from Imperial records at some point and had become lost to history until recently.

When the Badab War broke out The Minotaurs came out of nowhere, their entire chapter's fleet arrived in the sector and immediately started hitting secessionist targets. They declared themselves for the loyalists and sent their head chaplain, Ivanus Enkomi to talk to the war council. From that moment on The Minotaurs were the most ferocious allies on the loyalist side, devastating planets and populations in the sector. They almost completely eliminated the Lamenters chapter and claimed their ancient Battlebarge as spoils of war.

OPERATIONAL INFO
The Minotaurs always prefer to fight at full chapter strength whenever possible. they are fleet-based and so can respond as a chapter to any threat. The have approximately 12 Strike Cruisers in their fleet.

The Minotaurs are known for their use of advanced weapons and tanks, having more Mk8 armour than most chapters have. They have vast numbers of Predators and Vindicators a their disposal. They are also well versed in the art of seigecraft.

DISPOSITION
They operate under orders from the High Lords of Terra. The High Lords are the only authority The Minotaurs recognize and are frequently sent out to wage war on parts of the Imperium that have either gone rogue or traitor or simply as a political tool to punish those who disobey the Lords' edicts.

They have been known to have eliminated approximately 5 Space Marine Chapters since their reemergence from obscurity. They have been banned from the Ultramar System because of their elimination of the Inceptors Chapter, an Ultramarines Successor Chapter, and their deliberate insulting of Marneus Calgar in the presence of the Genesis Chapter.

Their condescending nature towards other Imperial Authorities has given them a bad name throughout the Imperium. No Imperial Commander will request their presence for aid unless there is no other choice. Also whether they would respond to that request or not is suspect. They Don't care what their reputation is, they only care about serving their masters and crushing worthy foes, who in their minds are other Space Marines. They relish their fights with other Chapters so they can test themselves against a worthy enemy.

SOME RULES WHICH COMPLEMENT THE FLUFF
The Minotaurs are my kind of army. They embody everything I enjoy fluffwise about an army. They also give me a great reason to have games against other space marines.

The Forgeworld books list two special characters for the Minotaurs; Lord Asterion Moloc and Ivanus Enkomi. Lord Moloc is a beast of a special character. He has a relic blade, a 2+/3++ save and is a 4 wound eternal warrior. But the best part is he gives your entire army preferred enemy: space marines. Thats right. He puts most special characters to shame in hand to hand AND his entire army is well-suited to smashing space marines.

PROGRESS SO FAR ON THE ARMY BUILD
So far I've re-purposed a number of Iron Warrior models because I realized that 12,000 points is probly a bit much for the Iron Warriors.

I've re-purposed a rhino and a predator along with about 20 space marines. I have so far built 3 10 man tac squads, 1 10 man assault squad, 2 attack bikes with MMs, and a land speeder typhoon.

I've begun work on my characters, Enkomi, a Captain, a Libby, and Tech Marine. I've got some stuff in the mail coming along soon which I will use to finish my characters and add some more vehicles to my army with.

So here are some pics:

Whole Army


Characters


Assault Squad


Tactical Squads



Next post will be army lists.

Siege of Mordax Outcome

So the big game weekend is over and I've had some time to think about how it played out.

Well I think it looked great, having not seen it set up until the Friday of the big game it was quite a sight. I was happy the walls all fit together well.

SUPER-HEAVY ALLOTMENT
Some thought after the game that giving each side free superheavies was unbalanced. I don't know if i agree with that assessment. The one superheavy that really had a big impact was Jedly's Reaver titan, but that is to be expected, the thing is a beast. If the attackers had some sort of a plan to deal with it, I think they would have been better off.

WALL STRUCTURE POINTS
Each wall section was armour 14 and 10 structure points any glance or pen removed a structure point. Some suggested that if it were say 5 structure points they would have come down quicker and allowed our armies into the fortress faster. (Until 5 wall sections were down, the attackers couldn't deepstrike into the fortress.) I assumed with the modified force charts and the large amount of points the attackers had available to them that 10 wasn't too many, I may have been mistaken.

DEPLOYMENT
The defenders didn't deploy a single unit on top of the walls. A good descision probably given the scenario rules. I think perhaps I should have required either some units to be on the walls or made their deployment zone closer to the walls. Their deploying farther away allowed them to engage the attackers with little fear of immediate retaliation.

The attackers deployment, in hindsight, was wrong. The rules were fine I think but where we deployed what armies was the real problem. I take full responsibility for it because I was the general and I basically decided where everyone was going to deploy. I should have though it out more. I should have realized that the middle of the board would eventually become flooded with defender's armies once their reserves arrived, and it would be very difficult for the attackers to press home their initial advantage once that happened.

I had not foreseen that huge pushback in the center of the board. I think had my 8,000 point army and Eth's 8,000 points of Orks been the two flanking armies coming in from the sides, we may have had a different out come. I think both of our armies could have really broken through the walls and hit the smaller amount of defenders on the flanks pretty hard and we could have kept our momentum throughout the game.

This was once again another game possibly determined at deployment.

NUMBER OF TURNS/NUMBER OF POINTS
We were able to play through 7 full turns in 14 hours. That averages out to 2 hours per game turn. Not bad and probably a D-Company big game record. Considering the total number of points was around 120,000 I think we did alright.

STUFF THAT SUCKED
The reaver titan's giant missile thingy that killed 4 rhinos, 2 hqs, and a vindicator of mine on turn 1. It was a huge shot. I still had enough left to play a big role in the game and I think if he hadn't shot me, I would have overrun the defenders completely.

People dropping out. When I originally proposed this game, I came up with 13 defenders at 4,000 points each and 15 attackers at 4,000 points each. Had we have been able to have that many players I bet we could have played 10 turns. The smaller size armies allow for faster game play.

THINGS THAT ROCKED
The venue was great. The hotel staff were awesome, very attentive to our needs and just plain nice, which can be rare. The room was fantastic it was big enough and far enough away from the rest of the hotel that we could be as loud as we wanted and stay up as late as we wanted to without bothering anyone. I'd like to thank Stormcaller for setting it all up for us.

The Bastions were great, I'd like to thank Pen Dull for putting them together and painting them. They looked fantastic, and were big enough that it really gave the game some much needed weight. I wanted it to look like this was an important fortress and those massive bastions did the trick.

The help that Eth gave me with getting my materials to build the walls was more then I could have asked for. I never would have finished them all without his assistance.

The ability to bounce rules off of Lord Bran Redmaw and Seti and Pen Dull was also very helpful in getting the rules to the place they needed to be.

Of course I'd like to thank everyone for showing up and thanks to Pete and AJ for bringing extra points so that the defenders would have enough to balance the game.

Overall everything worked out as I wanted it to, with the exception of my team losing of course, but you can't have everything!

Without further ado; here are some pics: