Email in: 2000 Duke Sliscus list for C&C

"So I think I've found a list I kinda like from the DE codex. Thought I'd run it past you, see what you think.

Duke Sliscus - 150

4 Kabalite Trueborn, Shardcarbine x4, Venom, Splinter Cannon x2 - 133
4 Kabalite Trueborn, 2 blaster, 2 shredder, Venom, Splinter Cannon x2 - 153
4 Kabalite Trueborn, 2 blaster, 2 shredder, Venom, Splinter Cannon x2 - 153

10 Wyches, 2 shardnets/impalers, Hekatrix with agonizer, Raider, flickerfield - 220
10 Wyches, 2 shardnets/impalers, Hekatrix with agonizer, Raider, flickerfield - 220
10 Wyches, 2 shardnets/impalers, Hekatrix with agonizer, Raider, flickerfield - 220
5 Warriors, blaster, Venom, Splinter Cannonx2 - 125
5 Warriors, blaster, Venom, Splinter Cannonx2 - 125

6 Reavers, 2 heat lances - 156

Ravager, 3 Dark Lances, flickerfield - 115
Ravager, 3 Dark Lances, flickerfield - 115
Ravager, 3 Dark Lances, flickerfield - 115

Total - 2000.

Sliscus obviously goes with the Shardcarbine Trueborn, to give them 12 poisoned (3+) shots and a spare blast pistol just in case. 5 venoms, the shardcarbines, 4 shredders, and all the wyches should give me decent anti-infantry, while 12 dark lances, 6 blasters, and 2 heat lances should be good enough for anti-tank. If I get to go first, I'll likely set up on the board and go flat out first turn, 4+ cover saves for everyone (maybe not the Ravagers), then hit hard turn two. Should my opponent go first, I can reserve and deep strike everything (save the Reavers, who can come in and turboboost anyway). Sliscus gives the Wyches (and Reavers!) rerolls on their combat drugs, so that's useful. Bleeds 21 KP, but I think most DE lists at this level are going to do that. Small Warrior Venom squads are there for objectives if need be, while Wyches go forward and take/contest others.

Comments and criticisms?

tzeentchling"

KP aren't really an issue. I like the concept but some point tweaking is needed I feel and we need to up the anti-tank as you've got a lot of anti-infantry. I think doubling the Reavers is a good idea and downing the trueborn to simple blasters and using the transport for duality. The problem then is where is the Duke really going to go? He'll end up riding with one the Trueborn squads but he's not going to be handing out his 3+ poisoned benefits but you're still getting the deployment options and combat drug re-rolls from him. If we downgrade the Reavers to Scourges we can probably fit something else in but I'd rather leave them in for the moment so we need to tweak the points to get both squads in.

We'll drop all the Trueborn to 3x3 w/3x Blaster in Venom, up the Warriors to having blast pistols (but we might need to drop these) and add in another 6x Reavers which sends us 155 points over (basically the cost of a Reaver squad). Hmm so we can split the Reavers up to 2x3 strong squads but they are pretty vulnerable to being torrented away so let's replace them with a Warrior squad which we can put the Duke into. A 10 man strong squad with Dark Lance and in a Raider gives us two lances and a couple deployment options (they can start on the ground with the Duke for example) but we're 9 points over so we'll drop a flickerfield from one of the Wych Raiders which will need to be screened or going flat-out. This gives us:

Duke
3x3x Trueborn w/3x blasters, Venom w/2x cannons
2x10x Wyches w/2x shardnets, Agoniser, Raider w/flickerfield
1x10x Wyches w/2x shardnets, Agoniser, Raider
2x5x Warriors w/blasters, Venom w/2x cannons
10x Warriors w/DL, Raider
3x Ravager w/flickerfield

Totals: 1999 points
60 infantry
12 vehicles

No fast attack which is annoying but you've got a solid cc component and can tarpit a lot of squads in midfield and the army has multiple deployment options with the Duke. If you wanted to keep the Reavers I'd really put them into two squads even though they are only three strong though the single squad of one works as well. Main difference there is ensuring the Trueborn have a role with their transports acting as duality.