Deathwing at 1750

[sholto]

I have played one game with my new Deathwing. It was at 1750 pts, and it gave me a decent idea of how this army plays, but obviously I need a lot more experience.

The list I used was very similar to this, but the squads were much less mixed (so no wound allocation), and instead of the two units of Stormtroopers I had a third Dreadnought with a multimelta. Not sure I need three.

This is the list I have at the moment:-

Deathwing Army List 1745

Master of the Deathwing, Belial (130)
• Twin lightning claws
Total: 130

Interrogator Chaplain Imamiah (120)
• Terminator Armour (+25)
• Crozius
• Rosarius
• Combi-melta (+5)
Total: 150

Squad Agares (215) (Belial joins this squad)
• Sergeant, with Storm Bolter and Power Weapon
• Twin lightning claws
• Storm Bolter and Power Fist
• Assault Cannon, Chain Fist and Narthecium/ Reductor (+65)
• Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield
Total: 280

Squad Butator (215) (Imamiah joins this squad)
• Sergeant, with Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield
• Assault Cannon and Chain Fist (+35)
• Storm Bolter and Power Fist
• Twin lightning claws and Deathwing Company Banner (+25)
• Twin lightning claws
Total: 275

Squad Carnivean (215)
• Sergeant, with Storm Bolter and Power Weapon
• Twin lightning claws
• Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield
• Storm Bolter and Power Fist
• Heavy Flamer and Chain Fist (+10)
Total: 225

Squad Dominus (215)
• Sergeant, with Storm Bolter and Power Weapon
• Twin lightning claws
• Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield
• Storm Bolter and Chain Fist (+5)
• Heavy Flamer and Power Fist (+5)
Total: 225

Venerable Dreadnought Zekiel (125)
• Extra Armour (+15)
• Venerable (+20)
• Assault Cannon
• Heavy Flamer (+5)
• Smoke Launcher
• Searchlight
Total: 165

Venerable Dreadnought Torquaret (125)
• Extra Armour (+15)
• Venerable (+20)
• Multimelta
• Heavy Flamer (+5)
• Smoke Launcher
• Searchlight
Total: 165

Inducted Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (50)
• 3 Hellguns w/ Targeters
• 1 Melta gun (+10)
• 1 Flamer (+5)
Total: 65

Inducted Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (50)
• 3 Hellguns w/ Targeters
• 1 Melta gun (+10)
• 1 Flamer (+5)
Total: 65

Any thoughts?

Squads Agares and Butator will arrive by Deathwing Assault on Turn 1, with both Dreadnoughts starting on the table. Squads Carnivean and Dominus deep strike from reserve. Both units of Stormtroopers can sit in reserve as well to claim home objective(s), or advance with the Dreadnoughts as needed.

A homer would be nice, and I could have a basic Ravenwing Attack Squadron if I drop the two Stormtrooper units, but then I am short on cheap, expendible, scoring units. I am not sure having a homer is worth the price, as Dangerous Terrain tests (in my single game so far) can lose you a model or two, but no more.

I could drop the dreadnought Heavy Flamers for double melta on both Stormtroopers. Might be worthwhile, since I'm not drop-podding the dreads.

[chief]

The key to any deathwing army is the deathwing assualt. Dropping the terminators in the first turn in vital positions and ripping the enemy apart with storm bolter fire (its also good if you dont have first turn because theres nothing for him to shoot at and lets face it theres on so many 2+ armour and 4+ invurnable saves you can make).

Belial with the pair of lightning claws is a great choice, and can be very deadly if you put him in a squad with all lightning claws and a cyclone missle launcher.

Heres my deathwing list:

Belial
Pair of lightning claws (130)

DW Terminator Squad
Assualt cannon (245)

DW Terminator Squad
Cyclone missle launcher (235)

DW Terminator Squad
Heavy Flamer (220)

DW Terminator Squad
4 Chain fists (235)

DW Terminator Squad
All with lightning Claws (215)

DW Terminator Squad
2 with Thunder Hammers + Storm Shields (215)

Vindicator (125)

Vindicator (125)

I've won a few games (7 consecutive) with this list.
Hope this can be of help .
Any questions about how to play deathwing just ask .

[sholto]

Thanks, Chief

I played a 3000+pts game with the army (and a Grey Knight GM for some sh!ts and giggles) against combined Tyranids and Daemons, and did alright, although I made some basic errors. I did use three Land Raiders, and the firepower a stationary Crusader can put out is fearsome. I think including any LRs in sub-2000pts lists would be troublesome, though. (The batrep with photos is here - incunabulum.co.uk/blog/2010/09/07/batrep-deathwing-vs-daemons-nids-3100-pts/.

I see what you have done with your squads, and it looks like you have specialist squads rather than trying to make each squad all-round capable. For example, do you ever find your all-Chainfist squad stuck without some vehicles to pop, or your all-LC squad locked in combat with a Dread?

Thematically, I like that approach (I love LCs; love, love, love) but worry about having an expensive squad not being able to deal with anything the enemy can throw at it.

I have some Ravenwing (6 bikes and a landspeeder), so am tempted to try a mixedWing approach and see how that goes, using the homing beacons with the 12" Scout move to bring the DWA down right in front of the enemy.

It occurs to me that Dawn of War would be an interesting game. If I had five squads, I could deploy two on the table at the 24" line, leaving 3 for DWA. I can then deepstrike 2 of those on Turn 1, giving me 4 units in the enemy's half of the table before he can do anything

Of course, if he goes second I might be completely outmanoevered

[chief]

Yeah they are kind of speciallised but they still do the job of being able of ripping some troops apart with ease lol.

The sole reason for the squad with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields is to take and hold enemy objectives while being able to hold of a dreadnaugnt off for a few turns, but a know what you mean about the LC's and dreadnoughts (been there lol).

Ravenwing bikers are great for that purpose and once all the DW terminators are down they just turbo boost around annoying people lol ;D. I took that approach at first but it didnt realy work that well for me.

Yeah if he goes second then it can real muck things up but the DW is capible of changing its tactics and roles to suit any kind of situation.