So with a couple more varied games with the Mech Marine list for Centurion I'm both happy and not with it. I'm obviously used to Mech Marines from my many previous games with them and they do work very well within the Centurion mission boundaries but I feel like I have issues with killing, particularly against multiple tough targets. Now obviously the few games I've played with them so far aren't a representative sample and I need to pit the list against more ranged lists like Guard/SW/Tau and see how I feel the army plays (and not get seized against) but I just feel like currently I'm playing with the list far too defensively and that if I got any more aggressive, I'd get overrun. You can see from both of the battle-reports posted here that a fair amount of my models finished in their deployment zone unlike my LoT batreps where most of my army was across the other side of the board (or dead...). Again, this could be a construct of being seized against my two aggressive armies but I don't feel I have the aggression or spread of firepower to deal with a true shooty list or reliably deal with a bunch of tough targets (i.e. T6'R'Us; again, if my LasPlas had been destroyed...hard to win that game).
So, we've got a couple choices sticking within the Mech theme. The most basic is adding in more LasPlas over the Tacticals. With a bit of tweaking I could probably fit in 5 LasPlas but then I might as well run a Hybrid Space Wolves list with Dreadnoughts rather than scouts, Long Fangs, 5x GH and LasPlas. I'm not against the list or the concept but I'd like not to use SW for this tournament sort of as a "hey look, other armies outside of SW/IG aren't crap." And no, let's not do the whole "see Kirby, SW/IG really are OP as you're trying to change your list to deal with them." I'm not, it's certain list styles I think my use of the current army will have trouble against and you'll notice I included two of the armies most of the Internet thinks suck, Tau and Tyranids. So let's see what we can do...
The obvious change is moving to a Thunderbubble with or without ACLC Preds. Hell, even moving to ACLC Preds with the normal Mech list in place of a Speeder works as well. ACLC Preds are static but they help out where I feel the list is having difficulties. With Thunderbubble we'd be losing a Rifledread in place of some Terminators which gives us a scary combat unit which we can throw at the enemy but only 5 TH/SS goes so far and 10 TH/SS seems over the top and the loss of a Rifledread hurts. Adding in a MotF in place of the Libby (keeping the Libby is an option too...) allows us to maintain 3 Rifles or even up their numbers but we lose some anti-infantry (and those Dakka preds are important as well against lists like Tyranids; see the Hive Guard). Anyway, out of all of this I think adding Terminators and maybe increasing the number of LasPlas over MM Bunkers is a solid idea but I'm loathe to lose the Libby so not really sold on the MotF... Thoughts here?
Other options also include going Flamestorm BA (6x Razors, 3x Baal, 3x Dread) but again that uses a codex people think strong. I could use Vince's Sisters of Battle with the Immo-spam + IG contingent but that's not my army and I'd like to use my own army. Bloodhammer is also an option which was posted before in the Centurion list summary (Libby, 2x SG, 25x ASM, 15x Dev, Priests) which I think would be a great and fun list to play and covers all my current issues with my Mech Marines if losing a bit of survivability thanks to no tanks. And of course there is always the back-up of Tyranids. Vince thinks more Hive Guard would work (which is true) but I don't have the money really to buy more and the Raveners are a nice assault unit on the fly. A second squad of these guys would be nice too but I'd have to drop the Tyrant for that and go for a Prime. Certainly an option...
Anyway, discuss away please. Let's try and focus on the Mech Marines and potential changes there. Again, more play-testing is in order, particularly against true shooty lists and when I'm not seized against to see if I can mount an aggressive front but Bloodhammer and Tyranids are certainly plausible options.
