Trueborn Tank Busters

Since fire dragons have better shooting, better armour AND are cheaper I'm feeling stupid fielding blasterborn.

However I've once tried 5 trueborn with 4 shredders and they were surprisingly good for 75 points. Thought about 5 trueborn with 3 shredders and 2 splinter cannons for 100 points but didn't try it out yet.

Indeed. And the virtually mandatory Dark Lance.

Xalopec wrote:

Since fire dragons have better shooting, better armour AND are cheaper I'm feeling stupid fielding blasterborn.

Another reason I'm leaning towards corsairs.  They get to take a single unit of eldar elite or fast attack at normal cost.  

Xalopec wrote:

However I've once tried 5 trueborn with 4 shredders and they were surprisingly good for 75 points. Thought about 5 trueborn with 3 shredders and 2 splinter cannons for 100 points but didn't try it out yet.

I magnetized my scourges and will occasionally field them with 4 shredders, 5 shard carbines, and a solarite with agonizer.  Against the right opponent (usually orks) it is hilarious.  Don't forget to throw that plasma grenade with the solarite.  

I wouldn't mix the cannons with shredders though as moving the cannons makes them pretty mediocre and you're going to have to move to get the shredders in range.  In general I'd just take a couple more trueborn instead of the upgrade for about the same effect (but with better range, +2wounds, and +4 attacks).  Problem is that unit wouldn't fit in a venom.

Fire dragons are definitely better. But if you want to go mono dark Eldar it is a good bet.

For the most part, I do agree mixing weapons is basically a bad thing, but I try to keep them in like same types if that makes sense, scourges with SC's and carbines, I class them as splinter weapons, when it comes to darklight weapons, I basically figure lances are lances, they all have same stats just different range, while the Dark Lance has double the range of the blasters, it does kind of make the blaster trueborn a bit of a waste of points, but even still, after my game today as well, they did their purpose, the Dark Lances never really let me down whether on Ravagers or in squads, they really do some work serious damage and are never easily left alone, I figure that using the Dark Lances at distance can possibly bring melee opponents near, and when they are in range of blasters too, that is even more firepower to decimate with, although I do suffer reduced firepower and also have to deal with snapshotting the dark lance if I choose to move in close, they still have so much more destruction range, even if only half the squad can fire at a certain distance, the dark lances will outbeat most ranged weapons of other armies, granted that they aren't tau or something. I won the game today with objective points, and would of won in terms of annihilate victory too, space marine opponent.

Game Recap Highlights:

Trueborn are in reserves on a Venom, two DL two blaster, Venom with Drazhar and 4 incubi, Venom with 4 Incubi and Klaivex, two ravager all dark lanced out, a Razorwing with Disintegrators and monoscythe. Two squads of warrior and an archon with a Agoniser, 5 scourge, 3 with SC, two with shardcarbine.

SM: multiple tactical marines squads large in numbers, melta's, plasmas, kraks, a dreadnought, scouts, and devestator squads.

Opening turn: the sm player was taking objectives quick, moderate damage to my warriors, the scourge on my turn laid waste to scouts, last one was running, warriors hit back slightly, archon moved up. SM player wins.

Second turn, SM retaliates to scourge, kills two, kills a warrior squad to a single dark lance, popped 3 off my other warrior squad, My deep strike units have some very lucky intros. two venoms make it in, both my ravagers too, my Razorwing too, scourges kill a grip of marines, dark lance warrior pegs off another tactical marine, my single ravager fires dreadnought with two penetrating hits, immobilized it. venoms fire on marines, get a few kills. I win

Third turn: Marine player kills scourge to a single one, and my single dark lance warrior, uses Melta weapons to kill a ravager with a single squad(Big learning lesson for me. XD) fires down my venom with trueborn, forcing a disembark, leaving only two alive, fires upon my razor and fails, scourge kills two more marines, Razorwing lays waste to devestator squad with disintegrator, monoscythe missle misses, trueborn fire with a single dark lance on dreadnought, fails, ravager finishes dreadnought, archon charges tactical squad, shadow field shakes off overwatch, then is called to challenge my enemies warlord, archon with agoniser, wounds once in his attack, sm warlord scores no wounds, venoms move up more, get a few kills. I win

Fourth turn, opponent kills last scourge, attacks a venom, glaces it, finishes ravager, attempts to attack razorwing with a few squads, and misses all, his warlord once again fails to wound, but my archon does too. My last venom finally deep strikes, containing the klaivex incubi squad, warriors capture objective, Drazhar and incubi disembark, and assault the squad involved in my archons challenge, decimating the marines down to 3 with the warlord too, my archon then lands two wounds and finishes the warlord, Razorwing moves up more, and nearly kills another squad, trueborn continue to knock off bits of marines in distant squads. I win

Fifth turn, enemy glances new venom, marines fire upon Razorwing again, and land two glancing hits on it, last of the sm warlord squad is killed. I move my Drazhar squad towards the enemies original deployment zone, trueborn run to other objective and capture, Glanced venom releases klaivex incubi, who charge into the second to last marine squad and lose one in the overwatch, Razorwing increases flying distance to avoid fire. I win

Sixth turn, the points earned is 2-3 advantage me, his squads no longer are going to be able to make it to any objective he has, thus leaving me victorious, we played out the klaivex assault for fun, which the incubi win.

Recap: Dark Lances never let me down, Trueborn first time fielding, were able to do moderate damage even with just two left, Scourges are truly one scary unit given the chance, laid waste to lots of infantry, Archon with an agoniser is a far more reliable killer than an archon with huskblade, meltaguns are the best tank killers i've seen. Incubi really are aimed to kill space marines in combat.(XD) Razorwing is an extremely effective anti infantry unit, I highly recommend using disintegrators with it.

I have a Trueborn squad I stick in a Raider and tool up for Lance shots (using 2 with Dark lances and 2 with Blasters) on top of the Raider's Dark Lance it means I can sit them somewhere and first turn the unit is like a Ravager with 3 Dark lances. I can move them, obviously losing shots but getting closer to enemy armour whilst my actual Ravager and other tank hunters are on the table isn't too much of an issue as they haven't seemed to be the priority target.

I have two squads of 5 Scourges, the first is anti-armour with a Blaster, Haywire Blaster and 2 Heat Lances (plus Solarite with Blast pistol). Second is anti-infantry with 2 Soplinter Cannons and 3 Shardcarbines. Initially they were my first heavy unit and accordingly got absolutely mullered by enemy fire as soon as possible. Now I have Ravagers, transports and a Talos knocking about, the Scourges survive long enough to get some shooting in and seem lethally effective...

Yeah, I'm loving my scourges currently, salvo weapons are brutal, I do want go get some raiders for my Trueborn, but I do think they are worth the points currently, plus the color scheme I have on them gives them much more of an intimidating look than my regular run of the mill Kabalites.

Salvo weapons are brutal? In my opinion the Splinter Cannon is wasted on anything that's not relentless...

CptMetal wrote:

Salvo weapons are brutal? In my opinion the Splinter Cannon is wasted on anything that's not relentless...

Agreed.

The only good Salvo weapons are Grav Cannons.

The Shredder wrote:

CptMetal wrote:

Salvo weapons are brutal? In my opinion the Splinter Cannon is wasted on anything that's not relentless...

Agreed.

The only good Salvo weapons are Grav Cannons.

I dunno that I buy them as an exception to the rule.

"The only good Salvo is a Relentless Salvo." (Personally, Grav never tickled my pickle, but I guess es other folks see it not sucking, so there you go.)

Splinter Cannons are marvelous, but not on Scourges.

Except when you have them in a bunker with void shield and ammo store... And 2 ravagers on the battlements

Jimsolo wrote:

I dunno that I buy them as an exception to the rule.

"The only good Salvo is a Relentless Salvo."  (Personally, Grav never tickled my pickle, but I guess es other folks see it not sucking, so there you go.)

Relentless is best, but I'd argue that Grav cannons are an exception simply because even when moving they still get 3 shots apiece (more than a rapid-firing plasmagun), and said shots are incredibly deadly (AP2 and wound most things on 2s or 3s with rerolls).

I think splinter cannons are very brutal haha, on a squad of scourge especially, once the 5 of them get into their location, 3 with SC and the others with carbines, they can lay down some real firepower, firepower that usually makes them a big target, but still, they are getting around 30 shots from a stationary position on any squad you want, not to mention since its poison its chances of wounding are always fixed and good, not to mention, with the better armor, they can take much more fire than most other units in the DE, although I figure they are more angled to anti tank with the heat lances etc.. the SC is still a good option.

I just don't see the appeal over having 2 venoms - which are 10pts more, but can move 12" and still fire their 4 splinter cannons at full effect.

And are also immune to S3 and lower shooting, as well as a better save.

What do you need better Armour for, when you're in cover? Yeah because of ignore cover weapons, but still...

I like the Scourge models, so got them for that as much as fluff. Now there are meatier targets for my enemies, they do a much better job. I've just got another squad of trueborn and given two of them dark Lances. Yes it opens up the whole "need to be stationary to shoot" issue, but the range is very handy when I need to attack armour that's sitting in the enemy's deployment zone across open ground Venoms would have to cover to get Blaster carrying troops in range.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of true born with Blaster. Last codex I used the minimum squads with two lances. I'd use them still, but never found the opportunity again.

I still want to try my Kabalite Raiding Party army with 6 trueborn squads.

Jea think a really funny list would be a raiding party with 6 cheap trueborn units, Archon with animus vitae and maybe urien. Goal is to get all pfp boni on turn 3. Then the trueborn can shoot their 4 assault weapons and attack with 20 S4 attacks. Even the hellions would be OK with 3 A and S 5.

Would not take the list to a tournament though