What HQ to run with sslyths

I'm trying to make a list running a nine man sslyth gunboat but struggling with how I should kit out my archon. I was thinking off making cc archon with all the bells and whistles but point cost came to around 170. I was hoping for an awesome shooting unit with some cc punch. I'm, however, looking for something cheaper and can probably live without cc archon. I'm leaning towards my go to archon with a blaster and wwp What do people suggest to run with this unit. My other question is, would u run a webway portal on this unit? I'm leaning towards yes but I don't have any experience running this unit. Thoughts?

Do you need the Archon? The court fills your mandatory slot, so you don't NEED one. With this many points in the HQ slot, I might be tempted to just skip the bossman.

I was thinking u might need a wwp on this unit due to their short range and a prime target. Plus u need the leadership bc sslyths have a low one. But u could always run a lhamaean I suppose.

With that many Sslyth, I would just run a Lhamean to save points. I would still deepstrike them. The 18inch range means they don't need a wwp. 27 poison shots rerolled is a scary thing to deal with. Add the fact they can do a pretty decent job in assault, you have yourself a pretty decent unit. What size list would you be adding these guys to by curiosity?

I was looking at 1850. I was thinking lhamaean also. Ur right 18 inch range should not cause me problems when I deepstrike. I did make a list with a archon that I like but I could do some upgrades if I drop him. Even if I run the archon I could drop the wwp of of him. I just feel weird not running my beloved archon.

Run the archon with something else. The way I run my 1850pt list is with 2 archon's. 1 with a blaster and wwp with my blaster born. The other with sf and agoniser with the court. My court has 5 Sslyth and 3 Lhamean. For AP 2 CC I bring Incubi with a Klaivex. Fwi, I'm not a big fan of allied forces or coven units. My list may be different from most.

I also don't use coven or allies. That is an interesting idea of running a shooty and cc hqs. I have also been debating of using a succubus instead of the cc archon. Have u experiment with succubus nariKlizhar in ur lists.

Among our "full role HQs", I think the Archon is the only real option here.
Perhaps give him a blaster so he can be used at all ranges similar to the Sslyths.

The succubus can't shoot (and benefits much, much, much more from Grots) and since Sslyths don't have FNP, a Haemonculus would be stupid.

Personally, I'd just go for a Medusae. It's a good template model and provides the ld Sslyth so desperately need.

I don't know how effective it would be, but a Haemonculus can have two Poison 2+ pistols (both BS5 and one master-crafted), and still have a decent melee weapon. Bonus points if you give the model a Stetson.

I dislike Archons at the best of times. They just seem to require far too much investment for far too little gain. The complete lack of any AP2 in melee is not just the final nail in their coffin, but also the cement encasing said coffin and filling up their grave.

pehldog63:
I have tied my Succubus a few times, and I get why people like her (especially with grots) She is a cheap hq and has access to an ap 2 weapon. The reason I don't use her in my lists is because I like the archon's shadow field. Understand though that I don't use a cc archon till 1850. At 1500 and below, I use my blaster archon with blaster born.

A naked Archon + wwp in a raider full of sslyth with a lhama or a medusa is my preferred option.
 
Archons come with plas nades. A S4 AP4 blast that very rarely scatters with BS7 is pretty cool to lay down before your sslyth unload their carbines from spinter racks.

Ive seen good opponents radically change their plans after this really tough unit appears, shoots an obsec unit off an obj on arrival, scores that obj for me and threatens to do the same to the rest of his backfield.

Painjunky, it sounds like u have ran sslyths a lot. Do u find to have a lot success with sslyths and have u ever ran them in tournments? I usually run blasterborn and archon combo in my tournment list but looking to switch things up without using coven units.

I've been running 5 Sslyth with a huskblade archon, not as a gunboat, but as a S/T5 meatshield for the carrier of Instant Death. It deviates from the OP though... I'd be on board with the Lhamaean for LD buff as mentioned earlier for a gunboat configuration.
Would a cheaper option for carbines be a scourge unit?

pehldog63 wrote:

Painjunky, it sounds like u have ran sslyths a lot. Do u find to have a lot success with sslyths and have u ever ran them in tournments? I usually run blasterborn and archon combo in my tournment list but looking to switch things up without using coven units.

I've run a large slyth bomb half a dozen times when I want to mix things up like you, always at 1850-2000pts as they are not cheap.

I have not taken them to a tournament, but have played and won with them against some very powerful lists like guard + IK + baneblade with extra super sponsons and the Decurion with wraiths. So yes I'd say they have been successful for me.

If you can load up on AT and MSU in the rest of your list you could take them to a tourney and do well.

Practise with them first and realise that they are NOT a deathstar but a tough backfield terror unit (effective in shooting and CC) that needs to take advantage of LOSB terrain. Position them so only a couple of units can see them, one of which the sslyth will mess up.

I've found them a good unit to hide my warlord in as they rarely get killed when used like this.

Good luck!

nexs wrote:

I've been running 5 Sslyth with a huskblade archon, not as a gunboat, but as a S/T5 meatshield for the carrier of Instant Death. It deviates from the OP though... I'd be on board with the Lhamaean for LD buff as mentioned earlier for a gunboat configuration.
Would a cheaper option for carbines be a scourge unit?

They are both gunboat and tough shooty + CC unit after the boat goes down.