1500pt Deathwing for league

[JMichael]

Our 30year old gaming store is running it's 3rd 40k league.
I won the first with my Sisters and the second with my Eldar (teamed with another Eldar player). Both were escalation.

So this league is 1500pt round robin with static lists (they must remain unchanged for the entire league).

With the new Dark Angel codex, and me already owning some Deathwing (use them as allies for my Sisters). I want to play a Deathwing army for the league.

As a relative Space Marine tactics (other than beating them!) noob here is what I'm planning and some of my thoughts!

HQ
190- Belial [stock load out]. Joins the Assault Cannon Deathwing Squad
136 - Librarian Terminator (ML 2, Combi-Melta). Joins the Deathwing Knights for a 4+ Deny the Witch and 5 Toughness | considering taking an Int Chaplain instead

Elites
245 - Deathwing Knights with the Relic. >OR< 295 - Deathwing Command x5 (Halberd, Assault Cannon, Chainfist, Deathwing Banner)

Troops
387 - Deathwing Terminators x8 (Assault Cannon, Chainfist, 2x T/S, Lightning Claws)
328 - Deathwing Terminators x7 (Plasma Cannon, Chainfist, Lightning Claws)

Heavy
135 - Deathwing Dreadnought (Deathwing, Multi-Melta, Hvy Flamer)
45 - Drop Pod


So again, the only Marine experience I have is 2 Deathwing squads as allies for my Sisters (who are nearly undefeated in 6th edition!).

Plan:
Deathwing Assault all Terminators on turn 1.
Deep Strike the Dread in the Drop Pod more as a harrasing unit and to give the enemy something else to shoot it's big guns with.
Was toying with the idea of Dread dropping in on turn 1 and hopping the Drop Pod survives so the Deathwing Assault on turn 2 wouldn't scatter.

Flyers? Eh, ignore them and/or hope for some good Assault Cannon shots, but I figure sitting on objectives to win. Smart movement can ensure that even if locked in assault the enemy will be 3" away form the objective with me still holding it.

[JMichael]

Well, using the above list I won our fits league game vs IG.

Here's a little synopsis:
I chose to Deathwing Assault all of the terminators, putting Belial with the 8man Deathwing and Librarian with the Knights (Prescience and rolled on Pyromancy).

Dawn of War deployment. Big Guns Never Tire mission.

He won the roll off and let me go first so he wouldn't loose a turn of shooting. This was a mistake imo as I was able to choose the table edge that gave him poor vehicle cover. He deployed with vehicles all touching in one corner (another mistake imo).

Terminators mostly all hit on their Deepstrike and my Dreadnought destoryed the pintle gun on the Executioner tank (doh!).

Executioner took out 6 Terminators (3 from Deathwing and 3 Knights) before my Dread and Deathwing got into assault.


I won with a VP score of 12 to his 4.

All in all a fun first game with Marines for me. Most importantly I learned a lot about where to place my Squads and though we can't alter our lists, I think 2-3 Thunder Hammer/Storm Shields in each squad will be necessary.

There is another IG player who brought an Executioner just for my Deathwing!

[Elfy]

The more Thunder Hammer/Storm Shields you have in your squad the less effective their Vengeful Strike ability will be. It's a tradeoff. Makes since if you expect to fight lots of AP2/AP1 though.

[Tynskel]

I would seriously consider splitting your 2 troops squads into 3 squads. The flexibility is important. I would take all the CC terminators and put them into a CC squad.

[JMichael]

I would seriously consider splitting your 2 troops squads into 3 squads. The flexibility is important. I would take all the CC terminators and put them into a CC squad.

I did seriously consider having 3 squads, especially since they are all Fearless the smaller size isn't as much of an issue. I did this more so Belial would have a larger squad since they don't scatter. More bodies in the place that I really need them.
The Knights are really necessary and perhaps having 4 troops choices would make them more 'winny' but I just had to give them a go!

[JMichael]

Just had my second league game with this list.
vs Necrons (only 2 flyers).
Setup was long table edge and my Deathwing and Knights both mishapped (scattered 10 and 11 inches, rolled 2 on the mishap talbe so opponent was able to place them...at the far end!)
I almost pulled out a victory but a turn of rolling 1's for armor saves did me in.

In retrospect, I could've placed the terrain (we alternated per rulebook) and objectives to better plan for a mishap.
Oh, well. At least I learned!

[Aegwymourn]

just a quick side note from you first synopsis, you roll for choosing board edge, then roll for choice of who deploys/goes first. its an often missed rule.

[JMichael]

just a quick side note from you first synopsis, you roll for choosing board edge, then roll for choice of who deploys/goes first. its an often missed rule.

Indeed I often forget that and do both in the same roll .
Thanks for the reminder

[JMichael]

3rd League game done.
This was against one of our stronger players and one that chose to play IG mostly to beat my Deathwing. On our store's FB page I jokingly said I had 47 terminators in my list because I needed to borrow some. He believed me!

Vanguard Strike / Purge the Alien

Anyway he had an
Executioner/Leman Russ/Leman Russ
Leman Russ/Leman Russ

2 Chimeras with squads and his HQ. Both squads had plasma guns and the unit with the HQ were veterans.

The HQ sat in reserves while the Executioner led squadron turtled around the other Chimera. The remaining 2 Leman Russ tanks deployed 16" or so away (smart move).

My 1st turn the Knights mishapped (delayed) but the other units landed right where I wanted them too, in front of the big vehicle cluster (including my Dreadnought). The closer I am, the better chance his blast markers have to scatter on his own units.

The Executioner completely wiped out my main unit (Belial, Librarian, 8man Deathwing) in a single plasma volley! Then one of his Battle Cannons scattered on his own tanks and immobilized the Chimera.
I thought the game was lost here, and that I would simply go for carnage and fun at this point.

Turn 2, my Knights come in to tangle with the 2 Leman Russ squadron that is off to the side. Meanwhile my Dreadnought's Multi-Melta destroys the Executioner and he then assaults a leman russ (same squadron). I learned that with vehicle squadrons I must adjust my Deadnought carefully to ensure the right vehicle is in my LoS, in this case the Plasma totting Executioner.
My other Deathwing unit assaulted the remaining 2 Leman Russ tanks from teh Executioner's squadron while the Drop Pod's Deathwind launcher wiped out an IG troops squad.

Knights take a few casualties, then assault the 2 Leman Russ tanks on the flank and destroy them (it actually took 2 turns to do this)
Between my Dread, Drop Pod, and 3 remaining Deathwing terminators his HQ (Chimera, Veterans, Warlord) were wiped out.

All in all I tabled him even with loosing my huge Belail/Librarian unit in the beginning!