Email In: 1000pts of Elysians (IA8)

Hi Kirby & co ! Your blog has quickly become one of my preferred W40K blogs thanks to the topics covered and the lack of emo-bitching. I enjoy your codex reviews, army analysis and concepts discussions.

I’ve gifted myself with a FW present for Christmas, and will likely spend 2011 building and painting an Elysean Guard force, using the IA8 list. After a careful reading of Dethron’s review, here’s what I’ve came up with at 1000 pts (painting those dudes and birds will take time, so let’s start it small but manageable).

HQ: 60 pts

Company Command Squad, Vox-Caster

Troops 1: 285 pts

Veterans, 2 Metlaguns, 1 Heavy Flamer, Vox-Caster, Demolitions doctrine

Valkyrie, 2 Multiple Rocket Pods

Troops 2: 275 pts

Veterans, 3 Meltaguns, Vox-Caster, Demolitions doctrine

Valkyrie, 2 Multiple Rocket Pods

Fast Attack 1: 140 pts

Vendetta, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Fast Attack 2: 140 pts

Vendetta, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Elites 1: 100 pts

2 Multimelta Sentinels

Total: 1 000 pts

6 TL Lascannons

2 Multimeltas

5 Meltaguns

4 MRPs

My regular opponents plays a dread-heavy Blood Angel force; I tried to create an call-comer list which can still handle mech decently enough. My plan is to start with everything airborne, and keep the fliers deep in my table half as the Vendettas try to cripple enemy mech elements and the Valkyries harass any infantry coming in range. The force has superior mobility and focused firepower, so the goal is to try to shoot things from a distance and stall the opponent’s progression. If enemy mech breaks through (or is better at range than mine), the Veterans fly close to disembark and handle tanks/walkers/monstrosities with meltaguns, while Valkyries rocket-pod enemy troops.

The HQ stays within orders range of the Veterans in order to maximize melta effectiveness, and avoids being engaged since it doesn’t bring anything.

Sentinels deepstrike close to enemy armour to add AT saturation and try to pop any tank with 12 inches of them. They serve as a distraction to buy more time to the Vendettas, and may even manage to handle 1 or 2 targets before being destroyed.

The list isn’t that strong as far as anti-infantry is concerned, I hope 2 Multi-Laser, 4 MRPs, 4 Heavy Bolters and 1 Heavy Flamer will keep enemy troops in check. Your feedback is more than appreciated!

Hey bud! Thanks for the email! Taking a quick list, I must say it is fairly solid as is, which is good. You're definitely on the right track and really the only recommendations I have are very minor tweaks which are more for personal flavor. Overall the one tweak is drop the Heavy Bolter Sponsons on the Vendettas, and instead pickup a Meltagun and 3X Aux GL's for the Command Squad. Reason being, if they're zooming forward to be in that 12" command range for orders, they're inevitably going to end up having to fight themselves as the enemy is going to be reallll close by. And it's always nice having an extra melta lying around, and those S6 krak shots are nothing to sneeze at. The ability to wound MEQs on 2's and threaten AV10-11is nice.

That would save you 1pt and bring the list to 999pts total. Tactics-wise, you're plan seems solid and you shouldn't have too much issues at that level, as the most armor you'd see is around 4-5 AV hulls on average, and between the sniping Vendettas and the dropping Sentinels, you should have it covered. Taking out troops may be a little hard, as you mention all you have is 4 large S4 blast templates and 6 S6, and that's divided between two targets. If there are more than 2 targetable (and potential threatening) groups of troops, you'll have to decide on the fly against which two can you get the guarantee kill for and weigh that verse which two are the most threatening to your overall plan.

All in all, good list and as I said my one tweak is more personal preference. Let me know what you think and any other feedback from the many readers and contributors is always much appreciated!