1k Archon w Grots + Sathonyx w/ beasts

> Archon with shadowfield, PGL, haywires, power sword & venomblade combo

> Baron Sathonyx

> 3 grotesques + liquifier gun
-- Raider, nightshields

> 10 warriors + splinter cannon
-- Raider, nightshields

> 10 warriors + splinter cannon
-- Raider, nightshields

> Two beastmasters, two razorwing flocks, five khymerae

> Ravager, nightshields.

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Queries:

- Is it worthwhile taking the archon's combined venomblade & power sword? At 20pts it costs much as an agonizer, and 4/7ths of a huskblade. Is it worth the points for the versatility of 2+w or ap3?

- Not enough antitank? I have recently been running 2 raiders 2 ravagers (I only own 4 skimmers) and this list sacrifices one ravager-capable skimmer hull as the taxi for the archon/grotes. Assuming all the skimmers have dark lances, my antitank is limited to six lances, three str5 grotes, and an rare HWG from the archon.

- My previous 1k list ran an archon with HWG wyches in a raider, but they consistently got wrecked before they could do any damage. Yes, I know I should buy a venom. It is almost certainly my next 40k investment.

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Tactics:

- The stealth'd beastpack is either the spearhead or bait. I haven't figured that out yet. Ideally they'll be able to move from cover to cover, but that never seems to work out...

- This will be my first 6e list to run two or more raiders with warriors. Nightshields and 36'' range seems to work really really in most games. My biggest problem is when to stop dancing and actualy advance.

- This will be my first time running "new" grotes. I'm in the process of converting the models. Any advice on how to use them?

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Happy raiding, Fellow Commorites.

zumuku wrote:

- Is it worthwhile taking the archon's combined venomblade & power sword? At 20pts it costs much as an agonizer, and 4/7ths of a huskblade. Is it worth the points for the versatility of 2+w or ap3?

At this point level I don't even think it's worth taking the two HQs both leading a focused assault unit. Especially if you only have two Troop slots. This feels like a SPace Marine player was asked to design a DE list.

zumuku wrote:

- Not enough antitank? I have recently been running 2 raiders 2 ravagers (I only own 4 skimmers) and this list sacrifices one ravager-capable skimmer hull as the taxi for the archon/grotes. Assuming all the skimmers have dark lances, my antitank is limited to six lances, three str5 grotes, and an rare HWG from the archon.

How many vehicles do you normally see in your local meta? If you only see somewhere between 1-3 then you are probably okay (though I'd be nervous of the 3 army) but if you see more then you probably need more anti-mech.

Grots aren't very good at anti-mech.

Also, Razorwings have rending, they can be theoretical anti-mech as well.

zumuku wrote:

- My previous 1k list ran an archon with HWG wyches in a raider, but they consistently got wrecked before they could do any damage. Yes, I know I should buy a venom. It is almost certainly my next 40k investment.

A Venom is less survivable than a Raider presuming you give the Raider FFs.
Grots will be better able to handle the wrecking of their ride as far as surviving the damage goes.

Honestly in 1k two HQ ain't worth it( you can spend the points elsewhere) try mixing this list in several games( try the archon and grits one game and baron with the beastmasters in another.

Thanks for your input, folks!

I dropped Sathonyx and some wargear on the Archon and took an 11 model warrior squad w/ dark lance on foot.
...
I went on to play and win my first league game at the local store-- I fought against Pat's Khornate CSM, Purge The Alien, short board edge deployment. His daemon prince eated up all the beasts, but fell from massed splinter and darklight fire, then his termies fell from the skies and popped a raider, but i dropped 4/5 the next turn. My opponent conceded just before I declared the archon+grotes assault into his termie at the bottom of turn 4...

This seemed strange, because he was actually in the lead for points and in a good spot to take out another raider and the footslogging squad, but I still had my ravager, mounted warriors, and grotesquad vs his remaining backfield cultists, and two very nearby CSM squads of 5 or so. Victory to House Castu'rata, final score DE - 2 points for dropping the warlord prince, CSM - 3 points for first blood, one raider, and the beastpack.
...
Next (non-league) game at 750, same OBJ and deployment. I got stomped by Danil's eldar bikes and two fireprisms. I conceded on t3 after he dropped two raiders and the warriors and grotes in either.   Ouch. Time to make a more solid list for 750, and to refuse "Purge The Alien" missions as much as possible. Also, who brings two fireprisms to a 750 pt game? DIRTY. Final score CWE - 5? DE - 0.

(edited score tallies)

Congrats on the League! I can understand the CSM player here though. You killed the killy stuff of his list while having most of yours alive. Anyway he might have a chance if the game had ended after T5.

Do you get to change lists between games?

Below 1500pts it's all about unbalanced lists. Two Prisms isn't that extreme although it was good rock to your paper.

Agreed, you should see some of the spam I do at 750 - 2 Prisms isn't even in the ballpark.

Vasara wrote:

Do you get to change lists between games?

The 750 list I fielded was a stripped version of the 1k list. I dropped the beasts, footslogger squad some wargear. It became something like this...

>Archon, venomblade, PGL, clonefield
>Three grotes w/ liquifier, raider, nightshields
>2x10 warriors, sc, raider, nightshields
>ravager, nightshields.

Lesson 1. I ran dark lances on all of my skimmers, but in retrospect I should have given some of them disintegrators (or boosted all of my skimmers to his backfield to attack the tanks). The local meta seems to lack many vehicles but has lots of 3+ and 2+ saves. I'm beginning to think that pairing my warriors' cannons with disintegrators is the way to go.

Lesson 2.It's impossible to catch jetbikes with a skimmer-mounted assault unit. My beasts could def catch them and hold them down for a turn to open them to assault from grotes, wyches, incubi...

Lesson 3. When playing vs. people who choose the Purge mission, especially at points below 1k, minimize troops and maximize heavy hitters.


Edit: my next list at 750 will look like this:

>Haemoni, liquifier
> 6? wracks, liquifier, raider
>10 warriors, SC, raider,
>ravager
>ravager
>beastpack.... or razorwing if a) i assemble my model in time and b) i'm playing dirty enough to take 3 heavies at 750pts.

Ravagers will have lances and raiders will have disintegrators.