Thursday, January 9, 2020

Beating the Ravenguard Tournament List Du Jour



BoLS listed the following list as the unbeatable list in the tournament circuit meta this week:

Spearhead Detachment – Imperium – Space Marines Chapter – Raven Guard Successor – Long-range Marksmen, Stealthy

HQ
Captain on Bike – Chainsword, Storm bolter, Twin Boltgun, Chapter Master

Heavy Support
Thunderfire Cannon, Techmarine w/Servo-harness: Flamer, Plasma Cutter
Thunderfire Cannon, Techmarine w/Servo-harness: Flamer, Plasma Cutter
Thunderfire Cannon, Techmarine w/Servo-harness: Flamer, Plasma Cutter

Battalion Detachment – Imperium – Space Marines Chapter – Raven Guard Successor – Long-range Marksmen, Stealthy

HQ
Chaplain – Bolt Pistol, Jump Pack, Litany of Hate
Lieutenants – Bolt Pistol, Chainsword 

Troops
Intercessor Squad – Bolt Rifles, 5x Intercessor, Intercessor Sergeant
Scout Squad – Scout Sergeant Chainsword, Sniper Rifle, 2x Scout w/Boltgun, 2x Scout w/Sniper Rifle
Scout Squad – Scout Sergeant Chainsword, Sniper Rifle, 4x Scout w/Sniper Rifle

Elites
Centurion Assault Squad – 5x Centurions, 1 x Centurion Sergeant w/Hurricane Bolter, Flamer
Centurion Assault Squad – 5x Centurions, 1 x Centurion Sergeant w/Hurricane Bolter, Flamer
Centurion Assault Squad – 5x Centurions, 1 x Centurion Sergeant w/ Hurricane Bolter, Flamer

Heavy Support
Centurion Devastator Squad – 5x Centurions, 1x SCenturon Sergeant w/Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter
Devastator Squad – Armorium Cherub, Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Sergeant Bolt gun, Chainsword
Devastator Squad – Armorium Cherub, Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Sergeant Bolt gun, Chainsword

Dedicated Transport
Drop Pod

Total: 1999

Being the ultra-competitive 40k player that I am, I came up with a list to counter the one trick pony that all tournament lists are.

Step one: How does the Ravenguard list work?
It stands as far away as they can and pumps out insane amounts of mid-range shots, while the Thunderfire Cannons go off with buckets of dice at AP -2 during the devastator doctrine turns. Eventually, the doctrines will shift and those hurricane bolters will just rip anything in 24" range a new asshole.

Step two: Pick a faction.
Really, at this point in 8th edition, tournament lists either need to be Chaos, Imperium, and maybe Aeldari.

Step three: Picking the most offensive beatstick I can come up with. Behold:

Battalion Detachment - Chaos - Chaos Space Marines - Iron Warriors

HQ
Dark Apostle - Bolt Pistol, Accursed Crozious. <Nurgle>
Chaos Lord w/ Jump Pack - Plasma Pistol, Power Fist <Khorne> Sightless Helm.
Warpsmith - Warlord, Bastion

Troop
9x Cultists, Cultist Champion <undivided>
9x Cultists, Cultist Champion <undivided>
9x Cultists, Cultist Champion <undivided>

Fast Attack
4 Raptors, <Slaneesh> 3x Bolt Pistol & Close Combat Weapons. Melta Gun. Raptor Champion w/ combi-melta

Heavy Support
Predator-Predator Autocannon, Havoc Launcher <Slaneesh>
Predator-Predator Autocannon, Havoc Launcher <Slaneesh>
Predator-Predator Autocannon, Havoc Launcher <Slaneesh>

Super Heavy Auxiliary Detachment - Chaos - Chaos Knights - Infernal Household, Dreadblade

Super Heavy
Knight Tyrant - Plasma Decimator & Volcano Lance, 2x Twin Seigebreaker Cannons, Two Shieldbreaker Missiles. Galvanized Hull, Defiant Machine Spirit.

Fortification Network  - Chaos - Chaos Space Marines - Iron Warriors

Fortification
Aquila Strongpoint - Vortex Missile Battery

Total: 1996

How it works:
Who would expect you to load up that CP battery into a building, and out of LoS of the Devastator heavy weapons? That leaves only the Thunderfire cannons to get first strike, and it'll take lots of dice to get though all 30 wounds of that at Toughness 10.

Meanwhile, the Predators, using the Strongpoint as cover, easily outrange the Centurians Grav Weapons and Hurricane Bolters. The Warpsmith also means that the Thunderfire Cannons will be AP - against the Predators.

Set up the Knight Tyrant as far away from the front lines and play 40k on autopilot.

The Lord can fight twice with the Khorne Strategem, and the Raptors can fire those Melta Guns twice with the Slaneesh Strategem. It's nice to be Chaos Undivided. 

Pretty Simple.

Just be sure to credit me when you win the LVO or something. 

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