How do you handle hordes with a pure deathwing army?

[iamian]

Seriously, lots of armor saves?

Army population is pathetic at 2k points. 2+ saves are good, but the sheer number of them you would have to make to would mean that statistically you're in trouble. And holding objectives would be a nightmare.

I'm woring on a DW list for giggles, but it looks like it would be a fairly crap list to run. Especially if you throw in a landraider or two.

[Houghten]

Um, shoot them a lot?

[TB0N3]

You need blasts, large blasts and templates.

If you are running pure deathwing, this is what you have available:

Belial: Use standard loadout
Librarian: Pyromancy or Telekinesis.
Knights: Nothing really... T5 2+/3++ can help tarpitting, though.
Terminators: Combiflamer, Heavy flamer, Cyclone Missile Launcher, Assault Cannon, Plasma Cannon. HF and AssC can be fired in overwatch, CML throws 2 blasts/turn.
Land Raiders: Redeemer (Flamestorm and Assault Cannon). Godhammer is not worth it, Crusader (Hurricane bolters) maybe.
Dreadnoughts: 2 twin autocannon, Plasma cannon+heavy flamer, Twin heavy flamer+heavy flamer
Fortress of Redemption: Fragstorm Missiles, Krakstorm Missiles. Your only source for large blasts.

[Chaoschrist]

I think it also depends on what kind of horde army you're facing. The most common horde armies are Orks and 'nids which both have a rather poor leadership but have ways to boost it up to fearless. I'd see if could take out those enablers (synapse creatures for nids, wittling down squads of boyz for orks).

Besides that... pie plates, lots of them. And flamers. If anything I wouldn't miss out on any "heavy weapons" on your termies. Either flamers, assault cannons, cyclones or plasma cannons. I'd opt out plasma since it's a single shot template and might scatter. Don't think you'd need S7 AP2 for hordes that much. Unless someone is running hordes of Mega-armored nobz.

From my own experiences as running both an Ork army as well as a pure deathwing list, close combat is your enemy. That's where they get all the attacks in, especially if they're on the charge. If anything you still have overwatch if you opt shooty. Flamers against boyz or gaunts in overwatch, seems like a solid plan

[Tynskel]

heavy flamers are really good.
Belial in a 10 man squad. teleport in at point blank range: re-rolling to wound flamers exactly where you want them. When I use drop pods, I typically hit ~7 models per template, so with the terminators, I would expect something similar. With the re-rolling to wound at AP4 ignoring cover, you have a good chance of eliminating ~12 models just from fire, then think about the ~12 twin-linked bolter shots, and Belial's shots, too.

[Sly]

Are you willing to include vehicles into a DW list? If so, this is what I would try to do:
1) All DW squads should include at least 3 Storm Bolters and either a CML or an Assault Cannon. CML preferrably. Belial's squad may use a Heavy Flamer since he can land to place it perfectly.
2) Typhoon Land Speeders put out a good amount of anti-infantry firepower for the points. A cheaper version may be Land Speeders with 2xHB.
3) Whirlwinds. They're not bad in general for 65 points, but for a DW army specifically, they give you exactly what you need: horde-killing ability for not too many points.

[iamian]

that wouldn't be pure DW, the list I came up with has a pair of Contemptor Mortis Dreads with kheres assault cannons. Heavy 6 each. plus it gets interceptor and skyfire if it doesn't move. (I just ordered one of them)

Realistically though, I would probably not take a pure DW list for exactly the reasons you mention. I love my whirlwinds. especially since I can make one a hyperios if I need some anti-tank/air power

[rtmaitreya]

I just played two games, my high-high-volume tyranids vs. his DW. As a horde guy, I needed to close in quickly, as there is nothing I could do at any kind of range to force enough armor saves. For the first time EVER, I was able to infiltrate both of my units of genestealers to surround him and force him to move forward into my teeth. That said, make sure you have enough units, or units with high LOS capabilities such as land speeders or fliers, to give you LOS to most of your own backfield. That limits enemy infiltration into your deployment zone.

The other thing I noticed were the application of force over a small frontage. I lost fights where I was channeled between buildings and forced to fight a limited number of my warriors vs. his. In one fight, I recall I only had 11 termagants that could hit his unit of 5 terminators. That didn't go well until I was able to get other units to close in from the backside. Look for midfield terrain types that force this kind of "300" advantage.

In a similar vein, consider using units 10 strong. Hordes would much rather face two separate 5 man units than one 10 man elite unit. When I clip into a single 5 man unit with a single of my units, I'll win those fights most of the time. When you are swinging back with 20 or more attacks with 3+ to hit and 2+ to kill, my single unit attacks lose out big time. This is the same kind of problem of force frontage, in that two units are easier for me to get multiple units of mine in to attack. Single units are just more compact, and therefore harder for me to take down without suffering heavy casualties.

Flamers too, of course, but you still need cyclones for long range projection to take out lynchpin units. Don't focus too much on wasting firepower to eliminate limited threats, however, as any horde player will always give you something dangerous they want you to focus on. It takes a lot of stones to ignore that threat and go for further targets instead, but it is something you will have to get used to doing. The things you need to watch out for are attacks you can make at medium range that go against my targets without a cover save, or that are only 5+ instead of nearer more threatening targets that are 4+ cover. You're wasting ammo going into 4+, and any horde player will be trying to encourage you to do that.

Good luck, by the way. I won the games because "Quantity has a Quality all its own". Avoid close combat, tighten up formation, and may the emperor bless your prometheum.