9th Armoured Assault 2000p

sairence · August 6, 2020

So after my first couple of games of 9th, this is what I've come up with. A fully mechanised force with armoured and artillery support.

Long post with detailed plan for each unit incoming. :P

I've found that Chimeras are pretty nice to keep your infantry safe while pushing forward while your opponents don't really want to devote a lot of firepower to them. They don't do much damage, they only give up limited points for bring it down and when you kill them an obsec unit spills out to take your objective. So I'm bringing a lot of them.

The main idea of this list is to take board control and never give it up. The tanks and Manticore are the heavy hitters, but killing loads of stuff has seemed less of a priority so far than sitting on the middle objectives. So, plan in detail:

Company Commander: orders, Kurov's Aquila...stay with a group of units sitting a bit further back.

Demolisher TCs: push up behind the Sentinels, throw out siege shells and shout "Look at me!" Use Strike&Shroud turn 1 and buff with Psykers.

6 infantry squads in Chimeras: push up 3-4 turn 1, potentially advance and pop smoke. Keep 2-3 back to raise banners a bit on home objectives and act as second wave. Disembark as needed, but ideally you don't want your infantry out until mid-game. I went with Meltaguns over Plasma as these should never have to engage at long range until the opponent is pretty much tabled. Also, the threat of D6 damage will worry your opponent, even if it's just one shot at BS4+. The Vox Casters add flexibility, I have found them very useful again in 9th.

Astropaths/Platoon Commanders: extra support...should be obvious. :P

Scout Sentinels: scout-move onto one mid-objective pre-turn 1. As those are max 12" away from your deployment zone you are pretty much guaranteed to have them in range. So even before T1 you get an advantage and force your opponent to react. Pop smoke if no enemies are in range.

The Armoured Sentinels provide deepstrike denial/home objective holding late game.

Manticores: big baddaboom.

The Inquisitor provides more psychic support and some shenanigans with Telethesia. The relic is interchangeable depending on who I fight.

Plenty of CP, you can outflank a Chimera with a squad for 1cp which adds more flexibility. The custom doctrine doesn't benefit infantry directly, but the repairs will keep the Chimeras in the field longer and force overkill on the vehicles. Gunnery Experts benefits all the vehicles too, makes even the scout sentinels annoying unless actual guns are out on them.

The list makes thin their ranks and bring it down auto-picks for the opponent, but I have yet to come up with a mixed guard list where that's not the case. I think those two secondaries will just be our fate. It helps a bit that the Sentinels and Chimeras will only give up two points, so the opponent has to kill a lot of tanks.

Secondary picks for this list would be board-control based. Engage on all Fronts, Raise the Banners should be solid picks. There's a good amount is psychic, so Mental Interrogation might not be terrible if the opponent has a lot of characters.

Flexibility would be in the Meltaguns, the Inquisitor and the Lascannons on the TCs...could free 105p to use on other stuff.

My main problem is that I only own 2 Chimeras currently...I may have to expand that. I do love that this feels like a strong 9th list but also veeeery fluffy. :D

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)

Detachment CP

Regimental Doctrine: Astra Millitarum, Gunnery Experts, Jury-rigged Repairs

+ Stratagems +

Tank Ace

+ Agents of the Imperium +

Inquisitor: 3) Dominate, 6) Castigation, Blackshroud, Boltgun, Frag & Krak grenades, Malleus - Psychic Mastery, Ordo Malleus, Power sword, Stratagem: Inquisitorial Mandate

. Psyker: Smite

+ HQ +

Company Commander: Chainsword, Frag grenades, Laspistol, Relic: Kurov's Aquila, Warlord

Tank Commander: Lascannon, Stat Damage (Leman Russ Commander), Turret-mounted Demolisher Siege Cannon

+ Troops +

Infantry Squad

. 7x Guardsman: 7x Lasgun

. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Meltagun

. Guardsman w/ Vox-caster: Lasgun, Vox-caster