Beginning a Catachan Army

Volunteer Wolf · January 21, 2018

Hey guys, long time 40k player here with a question on a Catachan army. I've played most armies in 40k but have never gotten around to guard. Recently I've started thinking about putting a Catachan army together. I don't know a ton about building a Guard list but would like to start around 1,000 pts. If anyone has an example of a balanced 1,000 pt Catachan list that they could share I would really appreciate it! If this isn't the best place to ask please point in the right direction. Thanks in advance!

Altasmurf · January 21, 2018

It's the right place. The big thing is what kind of force ate you looking at doing. Infantry based, heavy tank, airborne, artillery.

I myself run an infantry base with artillery support. Easy to do at 1000 points and quite powerful. So we would need an idea of what you at least envision from your army.

Volunteer Wolf · January 21, 2018

I’m really up for any build. Ideally looking for something that fits the Catachan fluff while staying at least semi competitive. Infantry backed up by artillery sounds like it would do that!

Qorbane · January 21, 2018

As a catachan player I am happy to help. I would advise to first start with a good core, what we call the CP engine.

2 company Commanders

3 Infantry Squads

This is bare bones and ready for up grades, but provides you with a nice place to start as fits you with a good amount of CPs for you start to 1000pts

I have been adding upgrades like Bolters and Power Swords or Power Fists to my Sergants and Company Commanders. As far as my Infantry I tend to lean towards either Plasma Guns or the Grenade Launcher and a Heavy Weapon of either Morters or Autocannon. Bother are great options for Heavy Weapons for your squads it just depends on how cheep you wanna be with the.

As far as the rest of the army list goes the Basilisk is a Great way to add Fire Power to any army and at its Points Cost it is hard to disput it’s superiority to your other options.

Wyverns are also a great choice. You have to really look at the pure weight of fire numbers this tank adds to your build options and with the catachan special ability it is hard to argue against this Tanks lovable nature

When it comes to a true tank the Leman Rus with the Battle Cannon, Hull Lascannon and two Heavy Bolters is a great choice. It’s basic, it’s simple and it is so cheep to field that it makes it so good. Tag that Battle Cannon with the Catachan special run, the fact that you can fire it twice and the pure amount of dakka it can dump out and you have a Killing Machine.

Maybe not at 1000pts but certainly at higher points the Shadow Sword is a great suggestion.. I mean you can run them at 1000pts since it is, I think, 472pts to field and with the guard that is Very, very doable. It’s a beast and not much can stand up to it at any points battle lol

If you wanna do more fluffy, and have a good win rate add in some flamers. Never a bad option ( my Marines are Salamanders ) and a catachan special love is flamer as well. Vet squads can even take a Heavy Flamer.

As a Catachan you do have a higher strength the normal guard so melee capable dudes is not a wast of points. A company commander swinging a Power Fist is no joke remember that.

If you wanna go flame Heavy I would go Hell Hound happy or maybe a Hell Hammer lol all Great choices.

The Valkyrie is something to also keep an eye on. Dropping a vet squad with plasma guns Heavy flamer a Power fist swing sergeant accompanied by a company command with a fist and a priest on someone’s door step is a mean thing to do to a support unit hiding in the back.

You have so many wonderful options to select from. You just need to decide what kind of Catachan Player you wanna be. You can easily play the “ I never have to see you but fire Big Cannons “ guy; you can spam Great hordes of troops laying down lots of first rank second rank, and you can play a great armored company btw it’s 5 leman Russ at 1000pts and it’s awesome.

Just look and think about what you wanna have fun with because it is all Glorious!!!

Halfpint100 · January 21, 2018

To echo Qorbane, 2 company commanders and 3 infantry is a good start to any army!

Harker is a must, so cool and so useful for 50 points

All your vehicles re-roll 1 dice of random shots per weapon, so get your hell hounds with heavy flames, get your battle tanks, get your basilisk and maniticores.

Catachan are one of the few armies where melee weapons are great! Str 8 powerfists rock!

Tirak · January 21, 2018

Just a few tips from my experience running Catachans.

Wyverens are terrible. 4d6 bolter shots isn't worth 103 points, not when the Basilisk is sitting there at 108. If you ever want to take Wyverens, you take Mortar Teams for a fraction of the cost and greater flexibility with orders.

The Basilisk makes the best use of the Catachan reroll as you roll 2d6, reroll the lower result and then take the highest. Manticores are a good second and are quite powerful in Catachan hands because it maximizes shot output, however they are point expensive.

There is no advantage as Catachan to taking your Russes with any other equipment. A simple stock Battle Cannon and Hull Mounted HB keeps the cost down and plays to your strengths, which is the shot reroll. Because we're not Tallarn, throwing all kinds of extra bolters and crap onto the tank is a waste of points as the moment you move it, they hit on 5s.

An even better turret is the Conqueror, so long as you're not playing at a major tournament and are allowed to proxy it. The Conqueror is the most efficient tank in the guard army at range 24, as you get to reroll all misses so long as you shot your storm bolter at the same target. The main gun can shoot out to 48 and is otherwise identical to the BC. The only problem is they don't make them anymore so getting your hands on the turret is hard/nigh impossible.

While we do get some Flamer buffs, flamers are crap, never take them. Yeah it means your order is wasted but it's a waste of points. The only flamer worth spit is the Hellhound, which with the Catachan Reroll is even more deadly. All other flamers are a waste of points because their range is too short to be any real deterrent.

Never, ever forget Vicious Traps.

Harker is an autoinclude in nearly any Catachan Army. For 50 points, he's too good not to take.

Power Swords are useless on all guard except for Catachans.

Power Fists on Company Commanders can and will cause hilarity, use them.

Do not forget the spell chuckers.

There is no replacement for the 55pt Scout Sentinel with lascannon.

The Catachans came out of 'Nam movies. You know what else is is 'Nam movies? Planes. Bring Vultures with Punishers.

Catachan are 'light' infantry. Don't weight down your men with loads of kit. 9 lasguns, a chainsword and a boltgun will do you just fine.

HIdden powerswords are really good on Catachans... but really unreliable, think long and hard before you start giving power weapons to everyone.

Volunteer Wolf · January 21, 2018

Thanks for all the feedback guys, it’s all very informative! Would anyone have a 1,000 pt list I could use as an example to start building mine off? I believe I’ve learned more in this thread about Catachans than in my previous 15 years of 40K experience haha

librisrouge · January 21, 2018

How about something like...

(Forgive BattleScribe’s weird formatting)

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) [59 PL, 998pts] ++

+ Fast Attack +

Hellhound: Heavy Flamer, Turret-mounted Inferno Cannon

Scout Sentinel: Heavy Flamer

+ HQ +

Company Commander: Grand Strategist, Laspistol, Power fist, Warlord

Company Commander: Kurov's Aquila, Laspistol, Power fist

+ Troops +

Infantry Squad

. 8x Guardsman