Having trouble with 1500 Isstvan Loyalists

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Well, this list is specifically for Heresy battles, so I don't have to worry abut Chimeras.

 

I'll have to get a few practice games against a Spartan to see what I can do against it. I think it will just be to push something in front of it to tie up whatever comes out.

 

Never had any complaints with the Medusa. A great terminator deterrent.

[hisdudeness]

My question is what is the likelihood of seeing a Spartan at 1500pts?  It is hard to fit a Landraider in at 1500 and just about every Marine player has one of those.  How many players do you know will take a Spartan at 1500, much less have one to bring in the first place?   

 

I realise you might be are part of the "Austin crowd" (you T-Sip lovers are wierd) that plays with the big stuff, so my point might be moot. You know your local scene more than the interwebz.

 

As far as dealing with Spatans, you could just ignore them like some people do with Landraiders.  AV 14 and 5HP, might be too much to worry about at 1.5k.  The points you will invest toward countering could end up eating more points then it's worth.  For my 3k list I added meltabombs to my Destoyers w/ JPs, but that clocks them in at over 400pts for a 10 man squad.  Not really an option for 1.5k.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Well, I went to school in California, so all the locals call me a "carpetbagger". :)  

 

As far as I know there's only one Spartan in town.  But how likely will I be to see one at a Heresy tournament at Adepticon?  I think not likely to draw one in a match-up, but I'm sure there will be a few in the tournament.

 

But my plan is pretty much what you suggest: ignore it and deal with what comes out of it, and whatever is the rest of the army.

[hisdudeness]

Oh noes, a Cali transplant!!  In Austin!!!  Way to break the mold.

I look at it this way with a Spartan being about equal to a full size squad of PA models and most of a full TDA squad.  So to field one the player would have to give up a squad.  Squads will be a premium at 1500.  Like you said there will be some who have the shiny toy and want to field it but I believe those will be weak on the competitive scale. 

 

I think you sould worry about the Predator Sqdns with Flamestorms, I played a game against those a week ago and they are worse than Banwolves.  For about the same points as a Spartan you get 3 tanks all with AP3 flame templates and 4 more HPs, that can also have good dakka.  2 Sqdns of those and a good gun line support sucks.

 

 

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Austin IS the only place Texans allow people from California.

 

Anything AP3 is murderous in Heresy.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Posted my WIP for this army here.  Gallery here.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

After playing a few more games, including one with Crysos, I decided to stick with Sons of Horus rules.  With only one week to go, here's what I'm taking to Adepticon for the 1500 point tournament, a far cry from the original list:

 

Chaplain, Power Fist, Refractor Field, Jump Pack, Artificer Armor

Master of Signal

Apothecary, Power Sword

20 Legion Tactical Squad, Nuncio-vox, Legion Vexilla, Sarge with Artificer Armor

15 Legion Assault Squad, 3 power axes, Sarge with Power Fist and Combat Shield

5 Legion Attack Bikes, Multi-meltas

Legion Artillery Tank Squadron, 2 Medusas

 

I'm getting better at keeping the Assault Squad out of trouble, and with the MM bikes I have a good fast-moving threat.  The big Tac Squad firing Fury of the Legion at BS5 is pretty scary and the Medusas keep anything really dangerous from getting too close to them.

 

The only thing I don't have is anti-flyer, but I don't think they will be popular choices.  In a pinch I can use the MM bikes to try and snipe flyers.

[hisdudeness]

Now that the fun is over, what did the other 1500pt armies have?  This could help others looking at this point level understand what they face.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Sadly I missed it.  My plane was 14 hours late to Chicago.

 

From what I've seen from pics, it was either 2 x 20 on foot, with a few vehicles (Basilisk/Medusa/Land Raider/Vindicator) and a support/heavy support squad.  Or 2 x 10 in Rhinos, with a few vehicles and Terminators.  I think there was one dual Land Raider with Terminators.  I was told there were no flyers.

 

I did not see any big Assault Squads, but I might have missed it.

[hisdudeness]

So none of the big Jawa Transports (Spartans)?  At the point cost I was not expecting any of the bigger things, unless some dude was all "I bought is thing, so I will use this thing!!" 

 

That sucks that you missed the game.  I might be missing the game my WE are being built for.  Work might take me out of state that weekend...I'm doing my best to get out of it.  Sadly, I won't know until the week before.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

No Spartans that I saw or heard of, but I'm probably not the most reliable source.  I think with 1500, people went meat-and-potatoes.  No Spartan-Deathstar or Dual-Stormbird craziness.

 

They did say that they will return next year; I'll be interested to see if they keep to 1500 again.