Signal wrote:
MM Drop Sentinels are one of the hallmarks of the Elysian list, which I don't want to crowd in on too much. If anything, I'd be more likely to give them Plasma Cannons (plasma being the Warhawks thematic weapon) using the Demolisher template (AP4+/AT4+, Slow Firing)
well, i'll admit that i thought that the MM was a "drop sentinel" thing rather than an elysian thing. however, forgeworld do have their "Elysian Drop Sentinel" model which, upon reading, suggests that the ability to fit in valkyries, and have grav chutes, are infact what the elysian pattern does, MMs dont actually seem to be on that list.
however, i do feel that other drop regiments will have access to the same style of sentinel, as they will have need for the same role to be filled, and the same mechanics as to how to do it.
while i very much like plasma cannon armed sentinels (they're my favourite loadout of the new 40k kit) i dont think i'd ever want to bother with such a weapon loadout in epic. a small unit of slow firing LV dudes doesnt really seem like it'll survive long enough to take a second shot. the demolisher has several advantages of it (most notably, survivability, but also 2 shots each) which the sentinels do not have. with stormtroopers to provide scout, i do see myself not bothering with any sentinel configurations. its not worth a 150pt formation that doesnt do much good, to be able to take a vulnerable 200pt formation. and thats a pity. cause i like sentinels for this army.
if you're worried about stepping on the elysian list's Unique Selling Points, well surely "drop infantry" and "will lose pretty much all the time" have that covered. I'd rather trade "will lose" with "multimeltas" and go from there :P
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The loss of the GravChute deployment is a pretty significant hit to the list, as it requires you to mount all of your core formations either in Valkyries or in Gliders. The first is expensive, and the second is very vulnerable to heavy anti-air fire. Once a good source of antitank firepower arises, it should take some of the pressure off the spacecraft. I'm also thinking that the Battleship might be best if it couldn't come in on Turn 1, simply due to the devastation it can wreak in the enemy's deployment zone. If I was to pull an entirely new unit out of nowhere, here's where I would do it: some sort of aircraft with a spinal-mounted Volcano Cannon or Neutron Laser Projector. Seems unnecessarily drastic, though.
that was my thought on the emperor. as it stands, it's the best option to take specifically because it will unleash so much devestation on the enemy deployment, nicely prepping it for a turn1 air assault via marauder-drop and grav gliders. and i'm not sure that losing planetfall is quite the blow you may think. i hardly ever use it myself, because i like to respond to my enemies plans, not what i think my enemies plans will be in X turns. between the choice of a lack of Anti Engine Firepower and a lack of Planetfall. i see myself losing the planetfall pretty much every time.
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The Basilisk company works because they're the sort of thing that can be moved into position and fire relatively continuously. Deathstrikes are essentially tactical nuclear shaped charges, and can't really be expected to provide the sort of on-call fire support that an artillery Regiment can. What might work is a "focused barrage" option, where instead of a 6BP basilisk barrage, it becomes a 2BP MW barrage. I do think Lance could be a useful ability to look into, but I'm not entirely certain what would be an appropriate weapon to put it on. It would actually be appropriate for a Plasma Cannon (since larger plasma weapons inevitably hit MW status) but the Demolisher sponsons don't have it.
well, my counterarguement to that, is that a deathstrike can theoretically be fired from anywhere on (or infact, orbitting) the planet, so while a basalisk company
can move into position, it also
needs to move into position, something that the deathstrikes dont. a 2BP MW barrage is an ok idea. i've done a bunch of numbers on such for my slaughtersword. i would suggest you go for a 1BP barrage instead if thats the route you go, because the difference between 1 and 2 is that 2 is better at killing infantry, but no better at killing tanks. considering the guy is going to want to sustain to be even remotely capable of killing anything, that becomes a 5+ to hit. if you hit a baneblade, you'll get 2 shots at it, which means thanks to armour saves, you've a 33% chance of actually doing a point of damage to it. those are not odds i'd bother with for the points and loss of mobility.
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AdMech uses the Gothic cruiser, the Lunar is the 3BP/1 Pinpoint one. I forgot to add them in to the summary, but I'll do that promptly.
ah, the army compendium still lists it as a lunar class.
i do still think the spacecraft are un-good for the list (which is, that their weapons are quite useful, but that overflight is what the list 'should' be about, so giving people such good reasons not to take it is a dangerous move)