Best Army for Tournaments

[Vuron]

I wanted to gauge what is the general consensus on the best army out there.

I understand a lot of the army is the player, the situation, the dice, yadda yadda. What I am asking is from a Codex only perspective in the current metagame - what should I build for tournaments this summer (usually 2000 pts). I want to get started now and am at a cross roads as to what to build/paint/play.

Here are my choices:

(1) Mech Orks -> Boss on Bike/KFF/Nob Bikers/60+ Shootas/2-3 Squads of Lootas/3 Battlewagons
(2) Eldar
(3) Nids - Big Bugs
(4) Blood Angels ->assuming the rumors
(5) CSM

I am not interested in Guard (I hate painting faces -- and thats a lot of faces)/Marines of any variant other than Blood Angels (I have played Ultrawebelos and BTs for a long time)/Chaos Daemons/DE/Necros/Tau or Inquisition (either).

I am leaning in favor of Mech Orks but I know their many weaknesses. I am wondering what the active tournament players see an opponent setting up and are concerned because of the strength of the codex.

[Sir Biscuit]

It depends entirely on the player, and I think it's silly to exclude so many codices from your list.

Guards are my most hated. Eldar I actually rank kind of low, but then again I've never faced a serious Eldar opponent.

Space Marines is also a great codex. There are consistently space marine armies that place in the top ranks of tournaments.

All in all, it's difficult to rank them, because so much depends on the build, the player, and the local metagame. That being said, Orks, Chaos Space Marines and any 5th edition 'dex are good options.

[Atrocity]

I'd personally go with Nids. If you build it right you can take anyone (read: bone swords and wings on most things with a few Zoes and some Hive Guard). I play CSM and with every new 'dex it seems they are going the way of the dinosaur. Play something more competitive. Blood Angels are going to do just about everything CSM does for cheaper and/or do it better. But if you build a 2k point nids list correctly the only thing stopping you at a tourney is an army with a ton of pie plates. I'd say the odds of that are pretty low.

[gannam]

Play the army that you enjoy the best. Don't worry about whats going to win. You won't win many tournaments at first anyway. Play what you will enjoy painting, and what you will enjoy looking at on the table, cause you will spend most of your time watching models.



I wanted to gauge what is the general consensus on the best army out there.

I understand a lot of the army is the player, the situation, the dice, yadda yadda. What I am asking is from a Codex only perspective in the current metagame - what should I build for tournaments this summer (usually 2000 pts). I want to get started now and am at a cross roads as to what to build/paint/play.

Here are my choices:

(1) Mech Orks -> Boss on Bike/KFF/Nob Bikers/60+ Shootas/2-3 Squads of Lootas/3 Battlewagons
(2) Eldar
(3) Nids - Big Bugs
(4) Blood Angels ->assuming the rumors
(5) CSM

I am not interested in Guard (I hate painting faces -- and thats a lot of faces)/Marines of any variant other than Blood Angels (I have played Ultrawebelos and BTs for a long time)/Chaos Daemons/DE/Necros/Tau or Inquisition (either).

I am leaning in favor of Mech Orks but I know their many weaknesses. I am wondering what the active tournament players see an opponent setting up and are concerned because of the strength of the codex.

[RocketRollRebel]

IN my opinion who is the best tourny armys regardless of player skill...

IG
Orks
SM
CSM
Nids
your mom! OH SNAP!

I dunno. 40k isnt as bad as FB where 2 or 3 armies absolutely dominate every tourny and everyone else can go eat a bag of dicks and die. I mean Necrons in the right hands are still deadly. 40k is much more balanced on a competitive level than WHFB.

[DarkLink]

Off the top of my head, I'd say IG and nidz. IG can make an all-comers list than can beat other all comers lists, while nidz can be difficult for all comers lists to deal with due to the mix of hordes and big creatures.

[RocketRollRebel]

IG do probably have the best codex running out there these days. My list was mostly a "who has the best most balanced codexs" list I guess

[Frowbakk]

I regularly play with a group that has Best General and Best Overall winners at GTs and bigger tournaments. Knowing all the ins-and-outs of your army counts for a lot more than what type of list, but whatever list you choose should be able to RELIABLY:

- Disrupt your opponents battle plan
- Shoot down a Daemon Prince or Tyranid MC in one shooting phase
- Pop open 3+ Transports (av 12 or less) in one shooting phase
- Claim 4 Objectives in Turn 5
- Destroy a 30 model Horde/Tarpit unit in one phase (shooting or assault)
- Have an army-wide way to make 3+ saves not really matter
- Have a way to ignore Cover Saves
- Use either lots of dice or Power Weapons to win in close combat

IG can do this with Veterans in Vendettas, Manticore and Colossus Heavy Mortar tanks (S6, AP3, Ignore Cover = no more Turboboost-and-Claim Eldar Jetbikes), more units in Chimeras to pillbox in front of the Artillery tanks (giving them a 3+ Cover save, or 2+ if you buy them Camo Netting) and claim objectives later in the game, and of course Two Leman Russ to bring their Battlecannon to the party (Squadroned, so that if one blows up, you deny your opponent the Killpoint), plus the Psyker Battle Squad to make Nobz cry/throw out another pie plate.

That's a rough sketch of what one guy (who's been tabling people for years with his Blood Angels) has in his IG list.

[gcsmith]

Quick question wat about 1500, wat would u need to take in 1500 which is alot more constrict.

Also At 2k+ I reckon its mostly things like Guard and nids which can take loads of things and compete against all meta lists.

[RocketRollRebel]

Quick question wat about 1500, wat would u need to take in 1500 which is alot more constrict.

Also At 2k+ I reckon its mostly things like Guard and nids which can take loads of things and compete against all meta lists.

I do a lot at 1,850 and I find that to be super comfortable. 1,500 is okay too but takes a bit of adjusting.

[Mobious]

There is no best Codex for tournaments.

[Vuron]

- Disrupt your opponents battle plan
- Shoot down a Daemon Prince or Tyranid MC in one shooting phase
- Pop open 3+ Transports (av 12 or less) in one shooting phase
- Claim 4 Objectives in Turn 5
- Destroy a 30 model Horde/Tarpit unit in one phase (shooting or assault)
- Have an army-wide way to make 3+ saves not really matter
- Have a way to ignore Cover Saves
- Use either lots of dice or Power Weapons to win in close combat



Excellent checklist. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[DarkLink]

- Disrupt your opponents battle plan
- Shoot down a Daemon Prince or Tyranid MC in one shooting phase
- Pop open 3+ Transports (av 12 or less) in one shooting phase
- Claim 4 Objectives in Turn 5
- Destroy a 30 model Horde/Tarpit unit in one phase (shooting or assault)
- Have an army-wide way to make 3+ saves not really matter
- Have a way to ignore Cover Saves
- Use either lots of dice or Power Weapons to win in close combat


Good job. Only thing is disagree with it that it isn't absolutely necessary to have an "army-wide way to make 3+ saves not really matter", at least in the shooting phase. A unit or two that can shoot down a squad of terminators is probably pretty important (if you don't have high initiative power weapons to kill them in CC), but simple weight of fire can be just as effective against small units of Marines as against hordes. Unless we're talking plague marines. Then you need plasma or something.

[gcsmith]

Wat should nids do in 1500 to both kill a daemon prince and 30 men

[Mobious]

Termagants and Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs/Adrenal Glands can handle pretty much any unit on foot with sheer weight of attacks. Even mighty Deamon Princes and filthy Hordes.

[Frowbakk]

Remember that "weight of fire" is a way to make 3+ saves not matter. Roll enough dice and failing a third on average will take out anyone, eventually.

The "Tyranid MC in one shooting phase" thing is an outgrowth of needing to gun down a Greater Daemon after bursting free of it's champion host. TwinLinked Assault Cannon Razorbacks and Baal Predators are good for this as well as transport removal. Getting overlap in abilities helps quite a bit. Killa Kans with Grotzookas excel in this, S6, multiple templates, S10 weapon in close combat.