The Blood Raven's Thousand Sons

[The Yncarne]

Hello. This thread will document some of my journey with the Thousand Sons using the Codex. I have a small photo gallery. I am open for suggestions for improving and any discussion about my army for 8th edition.

 

My Gaming Philosophy

I've played this game since 1989 and am enjoying it again after 6-7th. I quit playing competitively 10 years ago. My gaming group is laid back and not overly competitive. I usually play a new army every edition.

 

My General Feelings About the Thousand Sons

My general approach to the Thousand Sons is to emphasize the power armor units and sorcerers. I am okay with cultists and daemons, but I'm not a fan of the Tzaangors. I'm a fan of Ahrimanites and use purple and white inspired from the Wrath of Magnus supplement. I also used that color scheme back in Rogue Trader.

[The Yncarne]

First Game

Played Tactical Escalation with a small list against a player proxing Adeptus Mechanicus models. We played on a small table (36" x 24") with lots of city buildings that blocked line of sight. This was really a different style of game from the ones I normally play. 

 

I conceded after turn 3. I had only lost a squad of rubrics and the daemon prince. I wiped out a squad of something and was putting the hurt on his onager. The cards were unkind. The first game that not only did both decimators live, one was never even shot at!

 

The list:

• Winged Daemon Prince of Tzeentch - malefic talons (x2)
• Dark matter crystal, warp time, boon of change
• Ahriman, inferno bolt pistol, frag/krak grenades, Black Staff
• Smite, Prescience, Warp Time, Temporal Manipulation
• 4 rubrics - inferno bolt gun
• Aspiring sorcerer, sword, inferno pistol, Glamour of Tzeentch
• 4 rubrics - inferno bolt gun
• Aspiring sorcerer, sword, inferno pistol, Tzeentch’s Firestorm
• 5 rubrics - warp flamer (x5)
• Aspiring sorcerer, staff, inferno pistol, Weaver of Fates
• Chaos Decimator - butcher cannon (x2)
• Chaos Decimator - siege claw, helflamer, soulburner petard

[The Yncarne]

Second Game

Played Cleanse and Capture with a normal size list against an Alpha Legion list. My opponent fielded a sorcerer, a lord with jump pack, 20 man CSM squad, 20 man cultist squad, 10 man CSM squad, forgefiend, and 2 defilers.

 

I conceded after turn 3. We played this game as discard all cards and generate 3 new objectives every turn. That boned me over as I could have had 3 VPs if my first turn hand was my second turn hand. I had poor dice rolling all game. The Fire Raptor couldn't dispatch the cultist squad for example. Otherwise this was a good game that allowed me to play what I expect to be my core list for awhile. End score was 3-7.

 

Lessons learned:

• My theory of using the daemon prince to slingshot the flamer squad around worked
• Getting greedy on Scarab Occult placement is too easy
• Having the AL sorcerer smite 4 termies when periling was a lark

 

The list:

• Ahriman
• Helm of the Third eye, Prescience, Warptime, Temporal Manipulation
• Sorcerer in Terminator Armor, force staff, inferno combi-bolter, familiar
• smite, weaver of fates, prescience
• Winged Daemon Prince of Tzeentch - malefic talons (x2)
• Dark matter crystal, warptime, Gaze of Fate
• 8 Scarab Occult Terminators - inferno combi-bolter (x8), power sword (x7), hellfire missile (x1), force staff
• Smite, glamour of tzeentch
• 8 rubrics - inferno bolt gun, force sword
• smite, Tzeentch’s Firestorm
• 8 rubrics - inferno bolt gun, force sword
• smite, doombolt
• 7 rubrics - warp flamer (x5), force staff
• smite, weaver of fates
• Chaos Decimator - butcher cannon (x2)
• Chaos Decimator - siege claw, soulburner petard
• Hellforged Fire Raptor
• Quad heavy bolters, twin avenger bolt cannon, hell strike missiles 

[Marshal van Trapp]

*saw title, thought another thousand sons blood raven theory/concept army, pleasently surprised*

 

I really like the look of your army, awesome take on the classic scheme.

 

I also really like your insight from your first few games, personally I've been having difficulties facing armor heavy armies and I'm considering adding some helbrutes. How, if at all, did you deal with the heavier models you went up against?

[Xenith]

 

The list:

• Ahriman
• Helm of the Third eye, Prescience, Warptime, Temporal Manipulation

 

Heya,

 

Great to see you're back in the game and having fun! Just for your information, as ever, named characters cannot have additional items or be given relics - Ahriman is mentioned by name on the relics page as not being allowed to take any - the helm has to go on another character that doesn't already have a relic :)

 

On anti tank, predators seem to be solid choices now, the predator autocannon is great. Otherwise smite them to pieces. 

[WarriorFish]

Love the blue and white on your models, very nice colours :tu: I also plan to do Marine heavy Sons (eventually), so I'll be following your escapades with interest :)

[The Yncarne]

Thanks for the catch Xenith. As warlord I thought he had to take one of the relics. I’ll give it to the termie sorcerer.

 

The past 3-4 games I’ve mostly ignored the defilers and forgefiend and gone for everything else. I’ll lose a squad, maybe two, but this army requires concentration of fire as I play it. I do have a single predator, with another boxed in the closet. My current plan is to replace the fire raptor with raptors with meltas as a chaos detachment. I might also go with obliterators. For now I’m using the fire raptor and smite to whittle down armor.

 

Always enjoy your work WarriorFish.

[Skerr]

Great work Blood Raven! Love the gallery. Very clean paint jobs, they look great! Also loving the game blurbs. Keep 'em coming!!

[The Yncarne]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement folks. It helps with the motivation. :)

 

The gallery seems to be a good option to work on while I await another game.

[Raven1]

I have the same blue and white pattern for my predators. I think it looks good.

[The Yncarne]

Played another game with the Alpha Legion friend today. Same list as above, but with the helm on the terminator sorcerer and minus a rubric to make up for the increased fire raptor cost.

 

We played the Ascetic mission. Conceded once again on turn two. Highlights include:

• One decimator exploding, causing 2 wounds to Ahriman and removing 3 rubrics
• Ahriman then attempts Temporal Manipulation on himself and perils himself off the board. Reroll confirmed it
• You'd think that 2 quad heavy bolters would remove more than 6 cultists, wouldn't you? Well, they lost 4 more in the morale phase
• Fire Raptor goes down in turn one
• Scarab Occult do next to nothing
• Rubricae with warp flamers really are awesome

What I'm going to change:

• Dump the decimators. The dual butcher cannons look nice on paper, but the -1 save mod makes you wonder who to shoot
• With the points saved, buy rhinos for the rubricae and more rubricae
• Move the cultists up on the paint schedule

What I learned:

• My opponents take too many heavy weapons to run 2-3 helbrutes/decimators with much level of getting things done
• I've played this game too long to take it seriously
• stratagems are something you shouldn't forget, especially if you have more command points than ever 

So far, I've yet to win with the codex, but I don't care anymore. The index has conditioned me and I don't play enough to keep up with all the FAQs. Maybe when spring actually arrives I'll head down to the local indie and get some new opponents and learn

 

I guess I really am playing a psychic power and terminator armor list. 

[WarriorFish]

Ouch, seems like the dice gods abandoned you. Forgetting Stratagems wouldn't help either I think Rhinos sounds like a good consideration, I'd also like to see one painted up in your colours

[The Yncarne]

Thanks WarriorFish.

 

Yes, hard to believe I failed more rolls to get powers off than had successes. It happens sometimes. I haven't threatened to microwave them in a while - that might get them rolling properly. 

 

i actually have 3 rhinos painted. They're embarrassingly poor paint jobs (painted in the early '90s), but a few hours of attention will bring them up to a better standard Challenge accepted!

[Tyriks]

Just looked through your gallery - very nice looking! I am especially impressed by that daemon prince!

[Skerr]

Man though break especially for Ahriman.

 

I've decided to get more rubrics and a couple rhinos as well. Also wanna test out 2 5 man warp flamer units in a rhino.

 

Whats up with SOT? ineffective? Do they just die or not kill anything? I use them for counter strikes in my DZ turn 1 and precision stikes T2. If they r not dying but not killing anything maybe try them as an objective grabber or replace with more Rubrics.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[The Yncarne]

@Skeer: the scarab occult don’t have much damage output for me. Yesterday I used prescience and veterans of the long war and still only caused minimal damage. Had one missile land. Granted three games aren’t really representative of potential. I guess I have rule of cool over effectiveness so far.

 

Thanks for the comment on the daemon prince. It was an experiment that has worked out. My other daemon prince didn’t turn out so good.

 

I did start improving the rhinos. Also ordered a portable light box so photos should show all the flaws even better. :-)

[The Yncarne]

Color Scheme

I've painted my army in the colors of the Sectai Prosperine. I had painted some Rogue Trader era champions using a purple and white color scheme so the Sectai Prosperine is a good fit. I haven't tried purple on any vehicles yet and am unlikely to do so.

 

I'm disappointed in my original vision was an Ahirmanite background, but I'll make do.

 

Thrallband Background

I'm not into the background aspect of the game. Some loose narrative structure and an excuse for fielding painted models is all I need to have fun.

 

I don't know anything about the Sectai Prosperine other than what was in Wrath of Magnus and is now at Lexicanum. Therefore, anything written here isn't necessarily canon.

[The Yncarne]

One of the little known things about the Sectai Prosperine is the aspiring sorcerers are responsible for vehicle upkeep in the field. To know the arcane magicks necessary to keep the vehicles in pristine condition is highly sought. Such rituals are best discussed elsewhere.

Here is a work in progress image of the primary squad's rhino transport.

[The Yncarne]

Today in the hobby I finished 3 rhinos for my Thousand Sons faction. Here are some pictures. More are in my gallery.

[/spolier]

[spolier]

I also got decent pictures of a helbrute...

And a dreadnought

[WarriorFish]

Good to see the Rhinos ready for battle again, very solid colours :tu:

[The Yncarne]

Thanks. I think these were originally painted black and then had Ral Partha metallic wax applied for that sick Nurgle look back in the early ‘90s.

 

Still need to snap a pic with the current rubrics for size. I think the aspiring sorcerer makes the rhinos like the TARDIS’ inside size distortion. Wonder which cult came up with that spell. :)

[The Yncarne]

Gonna give this list a try tonight.

 

Winged daemon prince with talons

Ahriman on disk

Exalted sorcerer

 

10 rubrics bolters in rhino

10 rubrics, 5 with flamers in land raider

20 rubrics with bolters

 

Scarab occult squad with hellfyre rack

 

Going up against an ad mech list.

 

Feels like a blood raven list from 5th edition

[Quixus]

I'm not sure if the 20 man squad wouldn't work better as two ten man squads. One more sorcerer

[Kite Senet]

Also, one less boltgun. Is it better to have an 8th sorcerer equipped only with Mini-Smite or a Change spell with very high chances of dealing 2D6 mortal wounds to its own unit, or to have an extra inferno boltgun? It seems to me like he's already reached diminishing returns on more sorcerers.

[Quixus]

Good point I forgot about the silly rule for psychic powers in matched games. This rule makes no sense at all to me.