[30K] Word Bearers + Be'lakor

[Hesh Kadesh]

HQ

Word Bearers Praetor, Paragon Blade, Boarding Shield, Meltabombs, Space Marine Bike with Twin-linked Bolters, Conversion Dissonator

Centurion, Diabolist, Power Axe, Boarding Shield, Meltabombs

Centurion

Allied; Be'lakor

 

Elites

Gal Vorbak Dark Brethren, Two Power Mauls, Meltabombs, Artificer Armour

Allied; Spined Chaos Beast, Daemon of Slaanesh

 

Troops

Word Bearers Tactical Squad, 2 Additional Tactical Marine

Word Bearers Tactical Squad, 1 Additional Tactical Marine

Allied; Plaguebearers of Nurgle

 

Fast Attack

Word Bearers Outrider Squad, 7 Additional Outriders, 4 Power Axes, Twin-linked Plasmaguns

Primaris-Lightning Strike Fighter, Two Electromagnetic Storm Charges

Allied; Screamers of Tzeentch, 6 Screamers of Tzeentch

 

Heavy Support

Spartan Assault Tank; Auxiliary Drive, Armoured Ceramite, Flare Shield

Allied; Seeker Cavalcade, 3 Exalted Seeker Chariots of Slaanesh

 

In a local club; houserules are no-non Primarch Lords of War, and 30K only, Age of Darkness rules.

 

The Bike Praetor joins with the bikers, obviously, and is supported by Be'lakor. Arrange the bikers so that Be'lakor is within 12" of the squad, but outside of 12" Dissonator bubble (for those without access to Book IV; Conquest, the dissonator is a Word Bearers relic which 1/game makes a 12" bubble which reduces all Invulnerables by -2 for one turn - not too good for Daemons) - he then pops Shrouding on them. The Bikers are all equipped with TL'd Plasmaguns which target the enemy units most important Terminator blob, and unloads 20 TL'd S7 AP2 shots at them, with a -2 to Invulnerable Saves - and then under Shrouding, Jink when the enemy targets them for a 2+ Cover Save. They have a Scout rule, so can get very close to where I need to be to ensure a first turn Rapid Fire.

 

The Praetor itself carries the trusty Paragon Blade should it get into melee (and the unit isn't that bad even though it's not got Hit & Run because despite 1A base, they have BP+CCW, which makes it a decent option to finish off a weakened objective holding Tac squad late game, while if needed, can assault with Power Axes against high save units - although I am contemplating changing to Swords or Lances as I don't want to really be putting up Save 3+ with Unwieldly against Terminators is not what I really want to be doing.) and Meltabombs to maybe strip a HP against anything that they can't avoid like a Dreadnought while defensive grenades from the breacher shield are ace. At least until Be'lakor steps in with his Armourbane AP2 sword.

 

The Spartan targets any AP3 cover save ignoring vehicles, while Invisibility if used is put on to the Outriders or Seeker Cavalcade. The tank trundles up the field, trusting to its 5HP, and Flare Shield to keep it intact and the Aux Drive to ensure that I get to a place where I can send the Gal Vorbak and the Diabolist (with the Breacher Shield for Defensive Grenades). They have a ton of attacks courtesy Rage, and with the Mauls+Rending, they can even take on Contemptor Dreadnoughts, while Solar Auxilia and Mechanicum get blended. The Diabolist provides AP2 to take on annoying Artificer Sergeants.

 

The Chaos Spined Beast is a brilliant Monstrous Creature from IA13 - with the 4 T6 IWND wounds, and a d6+3" run and S7 Rending it too can take on Dreadnoughts and get there quickly.

 

The Chariots just blend units without an Invulnerable Save, and the Screamers use their Armourbane bite to take on vehicles. The Plaguebearers I keep in reserve then deep strike them on an objective later in the game, and have them go to ground, while the other two tactical squads move up the field hopping from cover to cover (we play with the recommended cover in the BRB).

 

Any suggestions? Biggest issue I think is if someone specifically hunts down my troops meaning taking objectives is hard in 30K (no objective secured and only troops score). Thanks for your time guys.

[ChainMachete]

I wouldn't recommend Chaos Spined Beasts. Apparently their slot got switched with Giant Chaos Spawn, so they are really heavy support: http://www.thediceabide.com/2014/11/some-ia13-questions-answered-by-forge-world/

 

They are also Ld5 and have daemonic instability, so aren't going to last very long in combat unless you run 3 of them, which is a huge points sink. Giant Chaos Spawn are better, but not by much. To be perfectly honest I've found none of the Elite slots worth taking.

 

Not a big fan of the Chariots either. For too fragile and you've better targets for shrouded. I've always had far more success with Soul Grinders (Nurgle with phlegm or Slaanesh with torrent are my favorites) and Daemon Princes.

[Hesh Kadesh]

THanks for the heads up on the Spined Beast. It is a shame, was hoping to use that as a fast distraction carnifex. I can't take 3 due to the way Age of Darkness allies works (it supercedes the BRB, so no Combined Arms Detachments). Instability Isn't an issue. Throwing 5 WS5 s7 Rends at a Dreadnought means it has killed its own points worth.

 

The chariots are fragile. But if they are shooting at the chariots, they are not shooting at the bikers. Invisibility is the more likely buff for these. I considered the Soulgrinder (Slaanesh), but with a melta immune AV15 spartan it becomes the perfect target for the lascannons as I have no other armour. While I can Invis it, i prefer the use of the chariots to soak shots from medium weapons. As long as they're not firing at the Outriders.

 

If i was to drop the Spined Beast and switch to Slaangrinder, what would you use the spare points for? (AFB - are fiends of slaanesh elite?)

[ChainMachete]

I've been playing Daemons since the start of 5th edition and I don't think there are any decent elites for daemons in either the current codex or IA13. All the really decent stuff is in fast attack at the moment (Flesh Hounds, Screamers and even Seekers can all be made to work really well).

 

Bloodcrushers are far too fragile for their points cost. Beasts of Nurgle are too expensive for the damage output they provide. Fiends of Slaanesh used to be half decent depending on how you interpreted their rules, but now that's been cleared up by FAQs they are fairly pointless.

 

The only daemon elites I'd consider in a 30k army are Flamers or Tzeentch - heavy flamer wielding 2-wound 5+ inv. save jump infantry that will probably give enemy units 6+ FNP (4+ for those with apocatharies) for 23 points. On the plus side they are small and fairly easy to hide, particularly if you can source some of the original metal models. So you might have some success with a unit of 5-7 models. If they could deep strike off a vox they'd be a lot better (they can't though and I've asked Forge World about this). But I'd probably still prefer to just spend the points on more legion stuff.

 

Or you could try the Giant Chaos Spawn. I've no practical experience here, but with the Smash changes in 7th, I can't see how it can be anything other than a big points sink.

 

Personnally, I'd scrap the Word Beaers RoW, take Erebus for the Dameon allies instead of the Praetor & Diabolist and use the points on more heavies and elites for your Word Bearers. And definitely max out those Screamers (or take the equally good maxed out unit of Flesh Hounds).

[Hesh Kadesh]

Not a fan of Bloodcrushers - I don't have Cavalry characters to back them up. Out of interest, what was it with the Fiends that needed FAQ'ing? There's nothing I can see that references Fiends? If it's the -1 to Ld, it's a houserule, but we've already agreed that they would work like Lorgar's rules.

 

The Daemon Allies aren't the necessary point - the main part is the Bikerbomb - which uses Be'lakor to provide the 2+ Jink and the Relic's 12" -2 to Invuln combined with TL-Plasma Scouting Bikers to first turn wipe out heavy Terminator units. The screamers are excellent with their armourbane, but there's no way to Screamerstar (no double up FOC's with 7th edition, and only a single allies list in 30K rules. means no second Allied Detachment for a screamerstar-lite as I'm definitely taking Be'lakor - it also moeans no "Good book").

 

What would my HQ's look like? (And what would the allied Contingent count as? Assuming it works like "the Dark brethren", I have;

 

Erebus - 195 - with Gal Vorbak

Chaplain, Bike, Power Sword, Thunderhammer, Meltabombs, Bolt Pistol, Space Marine Bike with TL Bolters, Boarding Shield, Relic = 175 with Bikes

Allied Be'lakor

= 520

 

In place of 205, 115, 50, 320 = 720, so 200 more points to spend.

 

Dropping the Spined Chaos Beast is another 155pts to spend. I'm not going to be dropping the Seeker Cavalcade - sorry, I just like them too much - although dropping that for a Slaangrinder+Torrent = saving another 55pts if necessary, giving me 355-410pts to spend. Also realized that Concussive only effects the models wounded - which means that they're already dead unless I'm attacking Firedrakes, Deathshrouds, Gal Vorbak or IC's with the Flyers bombs, they're effectively useless for another 150pts.

 

Wondering where I could put those points?

 

A couple of Apothecaries+Augury Scanners, and maxing out the Tac Squads is 270pts, bringing me 235-290pts to spend. A Fireraptor with Reapers and Hellstrike Missiles is 230pts.

 

Erebus

Chaplain Biker (-Meltabombs)

Be'lakor

 

Gal Vorbak

2x Apothecaries, Augury Scanners

 

20 Tacs

20 Tacs

Plaguebearers

 

Outriders

Scramers

 

Spartan

Fire Raptor, Reaper Battery, Hellstrike Missiles

Seeker Cavalcade

 

I actually kind of like this list now, but I'm not a fan of yet again finding out that Erebus *is just better* for the army theme. Only issue is that the Gal Vorbak aren't as effective versus armour, but with Erebus taking Smite from Biomancy and potentially rolling Smash for AP2, that's not too bad provided that I'm not facing a primarily Terminator heavy army.

[Slips]

Why are you giving your bike HQs boarding shields again? its a 5++/6++ invuln depending on the situation and you can't claim an extra attack with it. A refractor field for not that much more gives you a flat 4+ and still lets you get the bonus attacks.

[Hesh Kadesh]

Defensive Grenades. To remove access to 20 power weapon attacks is brilliant, which is what happened when I realised their worth.

 

Long story short, I had a Sons of Horus breacher Centurion left alone after his breacher squad were killed from around him, so he joined a nearby tac squad, which was later charged by 10 Red Butchers charging out of a Spartan - Rage was prevented, and hence, 20 less attacks. They were still brutalised by the number of attacks they recieved, but for a [meltabomb cost] upgrade for a character over a combat shield, it's worth it.

 

Since then, I pretty much always find a use for a defensive grenade - an additional attack in best case scenario is 6 additional dead models a game, although more likely only really 1-2. On a defensive unit, making it even more defensive is preferential.

[ChainMachete]

Specialist weapons work well with boarding shields, because then you don't have worry about loosing the benefits of having a second close combat weapon.

 

If you're playing Word Bearers against 40k opponents where there goods odds of facing multiple multi-wound enemies, a simple Centurion with artificer armour, boarding shield and tainted weapon can work really well to support a big tactical squad. That single model can tank wounds with his armour, provide defensive grenades and then have fun with his instant death weapon. Remember that just a single model in a unit equiped with defensive genades stops all bonus attacks from a charging enemy. And before your own assaults, you get to chuck a small S1 blast with blind. That 85 points model, will make Tyranid and Daemon armies cry and really help out against any other assault focused armies.