Email in: Rhino based BA list

Could you please post the best rhino-based BA list you think is
possible? Thanks :)

I playtested a list yesterday using assault squads with meltaguns and
powerfists in rhinos supported by deepstriking sanguinary guard with
sanguinary priests. The game was killpoints, against tyranids, 2000
points.

I managed to get the deepstrikers in on the second turn and
support/cover them with the charging rhinos, giving my entire army
that sweet blood chalice action, and thus won the game - but I think a
list based around honor guard or some other way of delivering the
priests would be stronger.

The core is definitely rhino-delivered assault marines that have 2
meltaguns and a sang priest nearby, though.

If you want, I can email you what I come up with using my own models.
I would like to see what you come up with with no real restrictions -
just the strongest army possible based around this core.

As for my models, I own 11 rhinos, 3 ac/hb preds, like 8 dreads of
various sorts - and no razorbacks.(I make a habit of buying used
models on the cheap.) Just never got the urge to spend the $250
necessary to jump on the las\plas razorback bandwagon.

This is from Mat btw. Well let’s see what we can do, shall we? With a Rhino based list we want to get in your face quickly. This means taking advantage of the 18” so Dreads are prob out but Preds are in for support. We’re going to have to have some Razorbacks to run the Priests which is where I think problems will begin to get annoying or perhaps Raiders but Mat has neither of these so let’s see what we can do.

Only ASM squads can have multiple melta weapons under 10 men outside of Sternguard, so ASM x5 w/meltagun and infernus pistol + Rhino will be our base. These cost us 125 a piece and let’s get 2 and then add in 2x Sang Priest. Mat’s got 3x Baal preds so we’ll take them as well dropping us 145 each totalling at 785 with 2 FNP/FC bubbles.

Let’s start dropping in some more meat and grab some tacticals in Rhinos w/meltagun, MM & Rhino for 220 x3 = 440 but these aren’t really taking advantage of the FNP/FC bubbles…back to the beginning I guess. Let’s try Honor Guard...duh Kirby. 115+50+meltaguns and you’ve got your FNP bubble built-in. We’ll take 2x lib and 2x of these to open them up and start off w/2meltaguns each for 570 pts. We‘ve got our FNP bubbles now so let‘s get some max sized ASM to make use of them and we‘ll start with 3. 10xASM w/2xmeltagun, Pfist and Rhino = 235 x3 = 705 and thus 1275 total.

We’ve got our base then with 5 Rhinos but we could still use some heavy hitting. Matt has some Baals but we may want them as fire support though we might prefer AC/LC preds (is Mat up to this J?). The heavy hitters in the BA codex are VV, Sang Guard and Death Company (who can take multiple PWs even though I’m not a fan). Sang Guard can’t take Rhinos so let’s see what we can do remembering we’ve got 5 melta units atm. Let’s add 2 Baal Preds for suppression fire and pop out a VV unit. 3x LCs, glaive sarge, 2x infernous pistols, 2x SS & 2 meltabombs (1 on sarge), Rhino = 260 + the 290 from Baals = 1825 total and not leaving us much to play with. Let’s see if we can double up those VV.

We therefore need to drop the Baals and let’s make them AC/LC Preds (sorry Mat). This saves us 10pts each and we’ll drop the SS’s and an LC from the Vanguard giving us enough room for another VV squad @ 1955.

So atm we’ve got:

2x Lib w/HG w/2x meltagun, Rhino

3x ASM w/2x meltagun, Pfist, Rhino

2x VV w/2x pistol, 2x LC, glaive, Rhino, 2x meltabomb

2x AC/LC Preds

Eh, not really that great I guess. We’ll drop the Preds and add in some saturation. So first a 5x ASM w/Priest, meltagun and pistol + Rhino nets us 175 pts which leaves us with 140 pts. 2 speeders thanks.

So:

HQ -
Librarian w/Blood lance & whatever (shield is nice)

Librarian w/Blood lance & whatever (shield is nice)

Honor Guard w/2x meltagun, Rhino

Honor Guard w/2x meltagun, Rhino

Elites -
Sanguinary Priest

Troops -
5x ASM w/meltagun, infernous pistol, Rhino

10x ASM w/2x meltagun, Pfist, Rhino

10x ASM w/2x meltagun, Pfist, Rhino

10x ASM w/2x meltagun, Pfist, Rhino

Fast Attack -
5x VV w/glaive, 2x LC, 2x mbomb, Rhino

5x VV w/glaive, 2x LC, 2x mbomb, Rhino

Speeder w/MM/HF

Totals: 1990
9 tanks
58 infantry

Again…eh. We can drop those speeders to get another min-sized ASM squad but I think w/o using Razorbacks or Raiders and essentially Rhino spamming… If you want to go hybrid a bit (which I don’t like) or use homers for Vanguard to heroic intervention I think this is your best bet. You’re going to have problems with clumping but you can create 3 FNP armor bubbles (imagine if FNP worked on tanks :P) and you should always be with cover. First turn you zoom up and bang bunch of marines in your face. Use your chasis to make bunkers where guys can hop out and shoot but not be assaulted. Next turn they can assault anything that’s stupid enough to be near and you should be able to make them near with your Rhinos.

Viability? I’d say middle range. I’d much prefer to add in 6x Preds over the Vanguard and Speeders (without crunching numbers I get 2010 pts w/6x Preds, 3x ASM, 2x Liby/HG) so if you’d prefer that Mat. This does however have more of a combat orientation. Let me know and if anyone else has some ideas, please post :P.

Edit: I can't add so a Speeder has to be dropped and its 1990 pts.