Trueborn - AT

Hey all. I have a tourney I'm gearing up for and am looking for some thoughts. The tournament is 1250 + 2 250pt sidebars where you can choose either one before the start of each match (so 1500 points). I'm pretty happy with my 1250 and my 250 AI list ... however my AT list I'm debating my options.

I'm planning to run 2 Trueborn squads in venoms and initially had my list with 5 in each, 4 blasters in each one and a splinter cannon upgrade on the 5th of one group to use the final 10 points. That comes to 250 points and gives me 8 blaster shots.

What I'm considering however is instead of spending 130 points on blasters and a single splinter cannon upgrade instead spending 100 points for 2 dark lances per group and then putting shardcarbines on the remaining 6 with the points left. (Part of the rules are that the 1250 can't change otherwise I'd spend those points on upgrades to troops in that list...) I would then re-arrange some points on the main list to get night shields on the venoms so they could sit at range.

A third option I had thought of was keeping the initial list and re-arranging just a few main list points to give the venoms retrofire jets to deep strike them into blaster range ... but I think I'd rather have my venom shooty goodness on the board to start.

Anyway, thoughts are certainly welcome and appreciated.

Out of those 3 options, I'd go with the first. A venom with 4 blasters is pretty good anti tank (though the Splinter cannon 5th guy seems a bit of a waste at that point). The second option (Dark Lances and Shard Carbines) doesn't seem worth it to me. Shard Carbines would be wasted and the Dark Lances don't work great with them anyway. That and they don't allow much movement (which kinda wastes the venom). I suppose dropping the trueborn in some cover and having the venom fly off on its own could work though. Lastly I don't see deep striking as all that great an option (and if did want to you might as well use the duke as he lets your army do it for free) as it has too much unreliable aspects to it. Just my opinions.

Murkglow wrote:

Out of those 3 options, I'd go with the first. A venom with 4 blasters is pretty good anti tank (though the Splinter cannon 5th guy seems a bit of a waste at that point). The second option (Dark Lances and Shard Carbines) doesn't seem worth it to me. Shard Carbines would be wasted and the Dark Lances don't work great with them anyway. That and they don't allow much movement (which kinda wastes the venom). I suppose dropping the trueborn in some cover and having the venom fly off on its own could work though. Lastly I don't see deep striking as all that great an option (and if did want to you might as well use the duke as he lets your army do it for free) as it has too much unreliable aspects to it. Just my opinions.

Good points Murkglow and thanks for the input. The splinter canon on the first option was just 10 points left and nothing to do with them given the rules for the lists (I'd rather use them to upgrade something in my main list but that's not allowed so I'm rather limited). I thought about Haywire grenades instead in that group in case the venom gets shot down but if I get shot down I'm probably going to keep my distance at as close to 18" as I can anyway. No need to charge in really...

The second list ... perhaps if I split it to 2 groups of 3 trueborn with blasters (81+81) I could create a third group with 2 dark lances who I would not then have a venom for ... but that really limits their mobility... In both the first list and this that gives 8 STR8 shots but split among three groups instead of 2 and one group will have greater range but limited mobility... Just a thought that came to mind while reading though.

As Murkglow says if you take 3 TB w/ 2x DLs you don't have to mount them in a Venom - deploy them in cover and let the Venom do its own thing. The TB remain stationary the whole game and the Venom stays mobile. Win win

I've added up the points for your trueborn units and it seems that they do come to 250pts, but only if you don't count the cost of the venoms - is this intended? If not, then you are way overspent on both options.

You could try these options:

3xtrueborn 2xDL
3xtrueborn 2xDL Venom NS, extra SC
(247pts)

2xRavagers (DLs) with NS and FF
(250pts)

3xtrueborn 3xblasters HWG in Venom
Ravager (DLs)
(247pts)

Ravager (DLs)
Voidraven Bomber
(250pts)

Haywire grenades were just to make up points, but could be useful for when the blasters fluff it at AT.

Anyway, if I was wrong at the start, you can just ignore the rest!

Squierboy wrote:

I've added up the points for your trueborn units and it seems that they do come to 250pts, but only if you don't count the cost of the venoms - is this intended? If not, then you are way overspent on both options.

Anyway, if I was wrong at the start, you can just ignore the rest!

It was intended. As the venoms are going to be taken and identical in both lists the points were put under the "Main army" list which was fine with the tourney organizer.

Currently I have no Ravagers and haven't been playing long. I have two Raiders but am running them as such ... but intend to add to my army eventually.

Thanks for the input!