First list 1000pts Iron Hands: Thoughts/advice needed

[irnmonkey]

Hi all,

I'm returning to the game after a long period away (stopped in '95) and spit-balling ideas for a IH list. As I've not had to write and army list in almost 20 years and as the game's changed so much, I figured I'd live dangerously and get the internet opinion.

There's no big theme to the list, nor any main goal other than to hopefully win more than it loses and when it loses to not get an absolute thrashing. Oh, and not to cost a small fortune (the bulk of the list is made from the strikeforce box-set, with added bits and 2 extra models, the 2nd Razorback and the Stormtalon that aren't included).

So here it is, in all it's shiny newb innocence:

HQ:

1- Captain w/ Combi-grav, Thunderhammer, Auspex
135 pts

Troops:

Tac Squad A: 10 man 1 Plasma Cannon, 1 Grav gun, Sgt w/ Combi Grav, Chainsword
Dedicated Trans: Razorback T/L Las-cannon
250 pts

Tac Squad B: 10 man 1 Hvy Bolter, 1 Melta, Sgt w/ Combi-Melta, Lightning Claw, Melta Bomb
Dedicated Trans: Razorback T/L Las-cannon
260 pts

Scout Squad: 5 man Camo cloaks, 3 Sniper Rifle, 1 M/L, Sgt w/ Sniper Rifle
84 pts

FA:

Stormtalon Gunship: Twin Assault Cann, T/L Heavy Bolter
110 pts

Elites:

Ven. Dreadnought: T/L Las-Cannon, Powerfist, Heavy Flamer
160 pts


Which should all come together for 999 pts. So opinions, advice? Does this look like it'd at least be a fun list to play with and against or just a frustrating nightmare?

Cheers,

Irnmonkey :D

[Katharon]

Welcome back to the grinder.

First of all, you need to think about what strengths your chosen Chapter has. The list you show above seems like a solid start to Ultramarines or Imperial Fists. If you're chosen chapter is Iron Hands, then you need to take advantage of their Chapter Tactics and traits, specifically the "It Will Not Die" Universal Special Rule that they have. That means lots of vehicles and dreadnoughts. Troops would be fairly basic, Elites taken up by either Terminators or Dreadnoughts, Heavy Support by predators and land raiders and thunderfire cannon. HQ section, I'd look very closely at Master of the Forge and regular Techmarines.

If you haven't already, I'd advise getting a copy of the Clan Raukaan Iron Hands digital supplement. It will let you construct a unique Iron Hands army.

[irnmonkey]

Thanks Katharon,

I've not had a chance to pick up the Clan Raukaan supp. yet but it's next on my purchase list. Can totally see your point with playing to the Chapter tactics, my only concern was having too few Troops for effective objective holding/capture just to have a full mech. hoard. Figured use of the scouts for camping backline objectives with the 2 tac squads being hopefully flexible enough for other objectives. Was considering dropping one of the razors in place of a rhino, combat sqauding the associated tac squad then sticking the Captain in the rhino with them (the spcial weapon combat squad) for some facebeating fun (or instantly dead captain, but sometimes that happens)

Would you maybe suggest dropping the scouts in place of a Predator just to bulk out the Mech side for IWTND? This isn't aimed at being a totally fluffy list, just a starting point that I'm planning to tweak to eventually make it a proper IH style clan.

[spaceman91]

At 1000pts I would always take a thunderfire ( in every list). Twin linked las on razorbacks is a waste as is the ven. Standard dread is fine. I run assault cannons on.my razorback. Maybe drop the lightning claws too. Not really that great on a sarg. Apart from that that is very close to what I run my iron hands as. It works well. Out of 6/7 games with them only lost one so far. One thing I have run into is my captain dieing to melts so I have started take the shield.

[irnmonkey]

Thanks Spaceman, I hadn't considered that. Or thought of adding a Thundefire. I'm thinking that if I dropped both razorbacks to rhinos, ditched the claw, switched to standard dread I could keep everything and add the thunderfire cannon. Considering switching the ML on the scouts to a Hvy Bolter with hellfire rounds as well, think it'd be more useful than the ML in general.

[spaceman91]

Thanks Spaceman, I hadn't considered that. Or thought of adding a Thundefire. I'm thinking that if I dropped both razorbacks to rhinos, ditched the claw, switched to standard dread I could keep everything and add the thunderfire cannon. Considering switching the ML on the scouts to a Hvy Bolter with hellfire rounds as well, think it'd be more useful than the ML in general.
Now that's a plan.