First official taste of 6th Edition metagame

Greetings gentlemen,

my posting rate on this blog is as slow as ever and my response similarly delayed. But I assure you, I do this in order to make sure that the content you read maintaints some quality. Recently, I participated in the 1st greek tournament after the release of 6th edition, and I believe I got quite a good taste of how the new metagame looks like. Of course I would like to share this with you.

So, the tournament was titled “Anvil of Heroes” , it took place in a fairly new gaming club called “Legion Wargaming Club”. 24 Players attended the tournament, with some of the “well known” players of our community being there.

This post will not be about me or my performance in this tournament, but  just  for those who  are interested, I will include my list at the end of the post.

To begin with,  compared to 5^th edition era, there were few GK players…actually, only 1, which used henchmen instead of regular GK marines…ouch..

                Actually, there were people representating most armies ( I saw a tyranid player, SoB , SM all kinds of stuff ) which was very interesting. However, most people used Necrons and IG..which of course, was to be expected , and for a good reason.

                I will be very straightforward: at this moment ,the current 40k metagame insists that the only true winning armies/lists come from those two codexes. Each of them has its own flavor that makes it good and unique and is also set apart from the rest because of that.

I will start from the Necrons. My 1^st match was against the Necron player who later won the tournament. He used a very flyer-heavy necron list, with 5 Nightscythes and two Doomscythes ,as well as some very cheap Ork allies ( a bare big mek and 20 gretchins )

This list proved to be very, very effective under the current conditions. I got tabled by turn 4, got a bit mad during the game and even made some grave mistakes. Overall the list is very well balanced although it is extreme by nature. What I mean by that is , this list , although being flyer-heavy has enough ground force to secure objectives, as well as prohibiting  the enemy from killing all ground stuff before the croissants pour in.

However, the true power if this list lies in its flyers. The Doom Scythe , and most importantly , the Night Scythe. Let’s examine this unit and compare it to the rest of the flyers out there.

First of all , it is a dedicated transport, meaning that you can spam it alongside other usefull troops and , for a mere 100 points it is a truly imbalanced bargain.

It is an AV 11 all-around vehicle with 3 hull points that ignores Crew Stun& Shaken rather easily ( on a 2+ and 4+ roll respectively , due to its Living Metal rule)

It has a str7 heavy 4 weapon , twin-linked with the tesla rule. The only weapon in the game that rolls 4 dices and can pass 6 wounds. It is great  against everything and you can also use it in great numbers!

                The whole thing gets even more ridiculous when you compare the Night Scythe with the rest of the flyers in the game. I wont bother you with the details , but the Night Scythe stands as the best 100 points you can spend for a model.

Oh the other hand, GW seems to be really fond of the necron codex , and specifically, with the Deathmark Unit.. this is why this unit gets boosts after boosts with every single FAQ.

Yes, it was rapid fire weapons with both the rending and Precision shot rules. Yes it chooses a unit when it deploys and wounds it on a 2+, , …. And yes, this ability is shared with any IC that enters the unit… even cryptecs… I close my care here and leave the rest up to you.

If you don’t play Necrons , perhaps you should consider to do so, and if you don’t want to you should tune you list and make it able to be a little more efficient against them.

And now , I will move on to IG. Well , I believe that there is no reason to explain why the Guard has always been a blessed race… I struggle to remember a day when a played could say the following “ My IG suck hard! I will sell them and buy Tau istead!”. And this is of course , because they have always been a top-tier army , and they remain to be in the dark days of 6^th edition.

Not only they have the second best flyer available , but they are very versatile when it comes to allies! They happen to be , the only army who can abuse Prescience with a bulk of firepower. This well known big, 50 man-strong platoon with the 15 autocannons hidden in it now can make it’s weapons twin-linked against everything! They can reroll their close combat attacks ( although I don’t know if even this can make them tough enough to survive an impact from a melee specialist). Just add in a cheap BA or SW librarian and enjoy the incredible number of dice you get to roll.

Furthermore, things get even better for IG because of the new barrage weapon mechanics. Another good reason to remove the dust from the old Basilisk and perhaps invest in a Mandicore or a Medusa. Because now , Barrage are almost 100% better against armor and a fair deal more accurate when they fire.

Finally, Vendettas are excellent flyers ,and real cheap too. 12 armor is very tough for flyers, and its 3 twin-linked lascannons can almost guarantee a vehicle wreck every turn.

All in all, the IG remain as dangerous as always. They are now , the epitome of balance, quantity and quality. You can get their best when you pack some allies with them, but even alone are more than sufficient against any enemy. A remarkable codex that should become the principal for all future codexes.

All things considered, it is definitely not my intention to suggest that IG and Necrons are undefeatable. However, it is an undeniable fact that, during the first months of 40k tournaments they will be just a cut above the rest.  I don’t worry too much though.  Both the Necrons and IG will lose some of their light soon. Whether it comes from new codexes, codex updates or FAQ’s I am sure that they will follow the path already tread by 5^th Edition razorspam or even Nob biker lists.

** Finally , as promised, he is my BA list for the 1^st Anvil of Heroes Tournament:

HQ

Librarian-125pts

Jump pack, Power Sword

ELITES

Sanguinary Guard- 230pts

Power Axes

Chapter Banner

Sanguinary Priest- 75pts

Jump Pack

Troops

Assault  Marines- 215

10 models

Sergeant with Power Axe

2 Meltaguns

Assault  Marines- 215

10 models

Sergeant with Power Axe

2 Meltaguns

FAST ATTACK

3 Attack Bikes-150 pts

Multi-melta

HEAVY SUPPORT

Vindicator-145

Vindicator-145

Stormraven Gunship- 200pts

-Twin-Linked Multi-melta

-Twin-Linked Lascannon

I hope you enjoyed this article, all C&C are welcome.

Stefanos Kapetanakis, out.

First Thoughts on 6th Edition Part 2

Hello people,

Some weeks ago I  begun to write an article about 6^th edition. When I was writing the first part I was explaining my point of view on the new rules. However, the more I read about 6^th edition, the more I scout for other people’s lists and the more I play, the way I perceive the new rules is constantly changing.

 Thus, I am writing this second part of my article with a bit of  hesitation as to whether or not my arguments stand correct. After all it has been a mere couple of months since the release of the edition and we are all trying our best to decide what makes a good and competitive list for the 6^th.

 So, without further delay allow me to present you my little piece of knowledge , from my rather limited playtesting and reading:

FLYERS

 First of all , I think that after all the fuss about the new rules , the only massive change ( and the most troublemaking ) are the Flyers. As you all know flyers have gotten a great boost and have become a pain in the back for specific armies and lists. To this present day , only  7 out of 16 codexes have flyers:

-          Blood Angels -> Stormraven

-          Grey Knights-> Stormraven

-          Dark Angels -> Razorwing , VoidRaven

-          Imperial Guard -> Vendetta, Valkyrie

-          Orks -> Dakkajet, Burna-bomber, Blitza- bomber

-          Necrons -> Night Scythe, Doom Scythe

-          Space Marines – Stormtalon

Which leaves the rest 8 armies without a flyer option ( of course there are still allies , but we will get to that later ) and Tyranids which currently get neither Flyers nor Allies

But what makes Flyers so good?

First of all, it is hard to destroy them. You must shape your list to provide enough units to deal with them

Secondly, they carry dangerous weapons which can be either anti-vehicle, anti-infantry or both

There are 3 ways to deal with flyers:

1. Include in your lists units that provide high rate of  fire. Massed firepower is always the answer for everything and flyers are not an exception to this. A list that can shoot dozens of high-strength shots will keep the flyer problem to a minimum. Ideal unit for this purpose is the GK Autocannon Dread.
2. Include in the list a flyer of your own. Pretty self-explanatory, flyers can kill flyers and that should be your first target when you deploy flyers
3. Include dedicated anti-aircraft units. Skyfire shooters are currently undeveloped , with the only options being the Fortification weapons , Hydras or the occational boost from a Mysterious Objective

The thing is , not all armies can provide adequate anti-flyer units, although I am sure that in  the near future gamers will find effective ways to eliminate the flyer threat. However ,  unit then every player must construct their list with flyers in mind.

ALLIES

This is the other major change and the one that probably cause more headache ( although not in the way flyers do). With the new allies mechanics we have to  deal with a new , bewildering variety of lists that will expand  the metagame in both competitive and fluffy ways.

How should allies be used?

                Well , personally I think that when a player considers to  add an allied detachment to his army, he should take under consideration the following 2 parameters:

-          Will the ally compensate for the weaknesses of my army? Will it provide something useful to my list?

For example, an Ork player considers to take an allied detachment. He has some very good option for allies , such as IG, Necrons, Tau and even Daemons. However , Daemons don’t have much to add to an ork list because both Orks and Daemons are melee based armies. On the other hand, IG could make better candidates because they have shooting, while orks are infamous shooters.

-          Will the allied detachment be worth its points? Will I make good use of all the allied units?

The hardest part of building an allied detachment is choosing which units will fill your limited available slots. You have to take 1 HQ and 1 Troop choice, and then you get the good stuff. The bottom line here is: 

Don’t take an allied force if you only want 1 unit. Only take allies if all the allied units can be of some use to your list.

For example,  it is not worth it to take IG allies because  you want to include  a Valkyrie or two in your list. You will need to include some guardsmen that will not be of any use.

 However, if you want to take GK allies , it is a nice option to have Draigo and a troop Paladins squad. This detachment makes the best use out of the points you spend on it.

Apart from that , it is your own decision how you will use the allies.

From this point on things get quite complicated and it is really hard for me to give any solid advice on how to make a list. It seems that there is definitely more in 6^th that what meets the eye and we have only scratched the surface of the new metagame form. The only sure thing is that more playtesting is necessary , more bold lists must take the stage and all players should let go of the 5^th ed. inertial and try their best to cope with the new changes.

Thank you

Stefanos Kapetanakis, Out

The Truth about the Thunderfire Vigor

Greetings gentlemen,

Our todays topic will be non other than the most efficient, powerful, devastating and at the same time highly underrated unit of the game. I' m talking of course about the Thunderfire Cannon the most fearsome weapon platform GW has ever released throughout the ages of Warhammer 40k and Wargaming in general. The historical background of the Thunderfire Cannon begins in 1482 at the Renaissance. It was first designed by Leonardo Da Vinci as a concievment for the perfect artillery, a schema of the most destructive weaponry ever known to man.

Until our days this schema stands as an archetype of ideal warfare and as the goal of every weapon system that has been created in the history of mankind.

GW was inspired by this unwordly futuristic conception and decided to add it to its gaming system. Τhe first effort was made back in the early days of the 2nd edition, as the Thunderfire Cannon was meant to be released as a plastic kit in the Warhammer 40k game. As expected many conflicts broke out inside the GW company about its charachteristics in the game and its release was cancelled in the last minute, due to the unimaginable power with which it would provide every Vanilla Marines player. It is said that most of the plastic kits that were created back then (a very restricted amount) are now under the control of an uknown wing of the masonic order, while others are in the possesion of Jervis. To the vast majority of the wargaming community those events remained uknown, due to the resurgence of debates and questionings about the profile of the GW company, that they would cause.

 Υears have passed since then and GW unexpectedly decided to officialy release the Thunderfire Cannon in the beggining of the 5th edition with the new Space Marines Codex. The company of course  took drastic measures in order to ensure that the metagame will not collapse and that other armies will also have a word in the 5th edition. The model was released in a heavy, insufficient, ugly, overcosted metal kit (vastly different from the conception of Leonardo Da Vinci) in order to keep away customers from buying it. They also attached a Techmarine to it, disgracing the models legendary individuality and autonomy, feeding the community with the wrong impressions.  Additionaly the company launched a massive propaganda via the internet (blogs, news, articles, spam hatemail) against the model to manipulate the view of the players towards the Thunderfire Cannon, so that the model would never be fielded on a gaming table. Testimonials claim that few players who dared to bring this model on the table were kidnaped by GW agents the same night and that nοne heard of them again. Their entry on the national database was automatically deleted so that even their existance could be doubted. Every game it was fielded ended as a massacre in favour of the Thunderfire Cannon, there wasn't a single army in the game that could withstand its power. Therefore, GW wanted the Thunderfire Cannon to simply stand as an honourary entry in the Codex, but at the same time they didnt have the courage to apply any nerfs on this godlike artillery piece. It isnt also a coicidence that the Marines Codeces that were released after the Vanilla Marines were overall much more powerful, but still failed to harm the Thunderfire Cannon.

Now in the 6th edition, GW went too far by giving many armies the access to the Thunderfire Cannon via the new allies system. Rumors also tell that a possesed Thunderfire Cannon is supposed to be released soon ,so that even Chaos will be able to enjoy its benefits too. Fellow bloggers, I think we have finally come to the breakdown of our favourite game. Our games will develοp to rock-paper-scissors logic matches, because the player who gets first turn will destroy guaranteed his opponents army first with his Thunderfire Cannon on Turn 1. Thank god that the seizing the initiative rules didnt change in the 6th edition, so that the player who plays second has a small chance to turn the game around, providing the game with a little more strategic interest.

First Thoughts on 6th Edition part1

Hello ladies and gentlemen.

 It's been a long time since my last post, as a result of both my busy schedule and the "dead period " that followed the recent release of the long-awaited 6th edition. I have already indulged into the new book and I had the chance to play a few games and experience the new rules in action. Thus , having read some articles online, I would like to give my personal opinion about the 6th edition. It is important to make clear that by I am just sharing my first thoughts about the rules and I have, by no means, mastered the new rules , I am just trying to acclimatize myself to the new changes ,much like the whole 40k community does.

To begin with , it is important to mention that the 6th edition, unlike any other previous BRB have made quite a strange impact on the gaming community. I had the chance to speak with a couple of store managers which pointed out that no one was nagging about the new rules, or flaming GW etc. On the contrary , it seems that we all have embraced the new ruleset with a rather warm welcome, which is a nice on itself.  Perhaps it is too early to judge, but this absence of misery allows everyone to be more open minded towards 6th ed.

 So, we have a new book which appears to be more balanced than anything we have seen in the past. It packs some major changes that will definitely affect the metagame , but it seems that all new changes follow two major guidelines:

- Smoothing the gap between codexes

- Making people buy more stuff.

Which is not all that bad , when you think about it. In the new book, we have a host of changes that eventually lead to a much more balanced game, based on strategy, rather than rules abusing and spamming.

My personal opinion is that GW has done a great job tuning the old rules and adding some new rules ,but nothing is " broken".  Take the vehicles, for example. Now , they follow the hull point system. That means that it is quite a bit easier to break a tank , but now all tanks remail fully functional until they get wrecked. No more stun & shaking from glancing hits ruling your armoured fist Guard.

  In a similar fashion , Flyers have become much more survivable, but their transport capacity has been hindered and their movement is more "rigid"

All in all , to me it seems that GW wanted to make changes that would not affect dramatically their codex range and/or that would not cause confusion to the gaming community. So, limited changes to the new rules and the introduction of lots and lots of new stuff

Before commenting on the new rules , it is important to note the most important changes that came with 6th ed:

- The introduction of Allies & Fortifications

- Flyers getting boosted

- Cover Save nerf

- Transport Vehicles nerf

- Snap Fire & Overwatch

- New missions set

( Again , it is possible that I am forgetting some important changes , but anyway… )

Each and every one of these changes has its own impact on our gaming habits. First of all , the new Allies mechanings….now every army ( well, almost every army , ‘cause apparently Tyranids want to be VS the World , for some reason..) has the opportunity to get an allied detachment.  This is a wonderful change which has only positive effects on the game:  under-powered /old codexes can now  be used in combination with some more power-gaming codexes ,  make beautiful , fluffy lists or ever terrifying combos. In any case ,  allies have all the potential to dramatically increase the number of lists people use and shed light to some forgotten units and armies of the game. It remains to be seen if allies will be used to a great extent ,  but it is a smart move from GW from both gaming and marketing spectrum.

  About Fortifications….when I first saw that people could actually buy GW terrain and use it in their lists I first thought that it was just a vulgar display of greed coming from the manufacturer , and I  still believe that  Fortifications made their way into standard gaming so that our beloved Citadel could just sell more…  but from a gaming point of view they are rather interesting. You can get one for  cheap ( 50 points is not bad ) , it gives 4+ cover AND it was the option to fill it with anti- aircraft and anti-infantry weapons. It is also treated as an immobile vehicle  and can house troops inside… All in all a nice package that you can place in strategic positions and guarantee a successful defensive gameplay. They will be certainly used by specific armies/ generals but for the most part I believe that they wont affect  the standard gameplay so much.

Flyers!

Well, all I have to say is that it was about time to  give flyers a boost. In 5^th edition , it was just ridiculously easy to face  Stormravens , Vendettas , not to mention the Necron croissantes…. Luckily , now Flyers have become the new sh*t  , taking the place of the ubiquitous Land Raider as a transport and gun platform , and even outdating some of the older mainstream vehicles. They have gotten over  200% faster , are almost impervious to damage from non-skyfire units and they can fire more weapons than ever before , not to mention the Evade rules and the new transport drop mechanics.  Yeap , it seems that flyers will become a common sight for sure , and we will get the chance to do some air-modelling  with sci-fi crafts.

 Actually , flyers have become so powerful now , that any 6^th edition list should cover two aspects:  Ground forces and Air Forces. As peculiar as that may sound , every list we make from now on should be able to attempt domination in two levels.  And still maintain a balance between the amount of points you spend on each type of force.

 The only few drawbacks that flyers have is their low armour , compared to non-flyer vehicles , and the fact that when the enemy takes one down , it gets more painful for the units it carries and for anything that is near. Also , while flyers can move fast , their manoeuvrability  is rather limited,  so this part requires some care.

This concludes part1 of this early commentary about the 6^th edition. I hope you found it interesting. Part 2 will come fast. Feel free to comment  and thank you for your time.

Stefanos Kapetanakis

Gaming Behavior, Sportmanship and 40k raging.

Greetings gentlemen,

 today I would like to discuss a part of the game that plays a major role in the way people enjoy their gaming experience. And that is the attitude , sportmanship and behavior during a game , regardless if it is a tabletop game or an online one.

 First of all , perhaps I may not be the most suited person to talk about sportmanship.... because it is true that I often hear from people complaints about the way I behave during games. Some people say that I am over-competitive , quarrelsome or even obnoxious during the game. Even a friend of mine got offended recently after we had a game during a local tournament..

  Regardless of my behavior , I will state the obvious: that when you are playing a game , you ought to respect your opponent and make sure he enjoys the game as much as you do. When someone plays in a friendly environment , he will rarely come across someone who will play in an improper manner. However , when you step forward into more competitive gaming events and tournaments , it is almost certain that you will encounter someone who will cause frustration.  In such occasions , many people want to give their best to show their skill and claim a top place ( and prize ) that they will usually forget the whole "game " idea. It is not something nice or acceptable to do , but a tournament is a place where you could expect people to  demand strict precision during model movements and application of rules.

 Furthermore , there is another category of  " frustrating " people , those who are not only rule-nazis , but those who will shout and argue furiously during the game when a assault move can't be made or when a dice roll goes very bad.. 

   To begin with , not all people can be calm , and well , some of them are a little too excitable and perhaps more likely to shout or argue. Personally , I find it hard to restrain myself when a very bad dice roll occurs ( rolling 1,1 and 2 for a Ravener's assault move is not pretty when you have those str8 GK autocannons in your face ) and I believe that others share this weakness. Other people can be irritated when confronted by the rule-nazis mentioned above or when they realize that the opponent may cheat or otherwise attemt to "bend" the game rules.

 Also , several people get carried away when playing a game. 40k is  a game who has many thousand fans , most of which find the game not only attractive , but they have fervor and passion too! And if you consider that the game board is the place where 40k comes to life , I guess it makes sense to hear people shouting " For the Emperor!" or "Waaaagh! " when they play , or doing other silly things...

     Furthermore , many people spend several hours , weeks or even years to fully assemble and paint their army to the maximum quality they can achieve. When you spend so much of your time preparing your army with love and care for each model , this procedure creates some sort of bonding. For the artist , his works are much more than just a manifestation of painting skills , patient and talent. It is an exquisite expression of one's soul and feelings. Of course , the downside about being connected with the models is that you may get a grumpy face when that beautiful Voidraven that you converted and painted with full detail explodes before even touching the table!

  Also , the age of gamers does play an important role. In fact , it is more likely to encounter young frustrating players than old. I am not really sure how adolescence plays a role here , but I assume that all this accumulation of hormones do play their part. Furthermore , young players are usually more ambitious and energetic while lacking the patience of older players and are not familiar with the concept of  "losing a game ". These hothead individuals will react intensely to a situation that will perhaps , annoy them.

 And finally , there comes the part of personal rivalries and the social part of the game. It is true that most gaming communities number a rather small number of people , who are likely to know each other , more or less.  It is also common to have a friend or acquaintance with whom they play regularly and thus it is acceptable to develop some sort of rivalry ( for the fun of it , of course! ) to add a little flavor to these games. Other people may not find certain players to be endearing , for whatever reason they do. Playing a game against a player that you don't like can cause some sparkle and even cause troubles for both players and those around them.

  When  playing an online game, things become even more severe. The lack of personal contact allows people to express their anger or frustration in the most insulting and raw form , through the game chat or even pm’s and mails. Although this has little to do with 40k , it is an example of the way a game can affect people’s behavior. Thankfully , when insulting someone from the internet , it has little or no effect to their personal life.

All things considered , 40k is a game meant to be played purely for our personal enjoyment , and to  have some fun with friends when playing or painting. The competitive part of the game sometimes scares me , because a player can easily forget the way the game is  meant to be played , when he is struggling for victory. Regardless of the level of competition , our game is played by people , and people have their weaknesses. Some people may be mad about something irrelevant to the game that happened to them , others might get  upset when their dice rolls dont match the statistics and some people might get upset  just because they care about ranking and a gaming “status”. Regardless of the way each and every one of us plays this game , we should make sure to make it a pleasant experience for both players , and to suppress those innate feelings of wrath that we might feel. After playing competitively for a long time , after experiencing ETC , I can tell you for sure that I miss those old days when I would arrange a game with a friend from the school and we would bring some fun , mediocre lists made by models and equipment we found cool. No spamming , no rage. Those games where true , distilled fun!  Trying to outclass everyone else in a tabletop game is meaningless and tiring for those who attempt to do it. So please , play this game in the way you enjoy the most. Perhaps the “ Most Important Rule “ that many of us forget so often , is indeed the most important….

Thank you for your time. I know that some people will definitely be surprised to see an article for behavior written by me , but be assured , I also categorize myself in the examples mentioned above.  Please let me know what you think. Until next time , Guzzler , out.

Vanilla Marines in the current Space Marines metagame

        Since the release of the Vanilla Marines codex back in the beginning of the 5th edition, we have seen some huge updates according the Space Marines in general. At first, there was the release of the new Space Wolves codex, which rapidly developed to one of the most competitive codices in the 40k scene, due the large amount of quality choices it contains. Then we had the release of the Blood Angels codex. The philosophy of this codex defers to the typical marine play-style. Here we see some really fast and mobile units supported by a very decent assault punch. Then we also made the first acquaintances with the FAQ concerning the Black Templars and the Dark Angels codices, which brought them dynamically, back in the competition. At last, we had the Grey Knights Codex, which develops a unique and more “elitist” play-style, which finds itself in favorable position against the other Space Marines armies. Suddenly the Vanilla Marines codex seems weakened and pretty much out of date after the releases of the other Space Marines codices, not only because of all the options of the new codices, but also because its tactics are by now “well-known” to each player. The critical question therefore is: “Are the Vanilla Marines able to compete in such a hard Space Marines metagame?”

First of all, I would like to point out the main difference between the Vanilla Codex and the other Space Marines codices is the fact, that the HQ choice in the Vanilla Codex plays a huge rule according the muster of your entire army. Thing is, that the special characters of the codex in most cases  come along  with a “combat tactics” rule that influences your whole gameplay and consequently the decisions you will make for your army list. For example, if you choose Pedro Kantor as an HQ then you will most likely play around Sternguards, in order to enhance them with his “combat tactics” ability. Same goes also with Vulkan, Khorsarro Khan and Kayvaan Shrike. However, maximizing certain units, in order to get full benefit of your HQ’s ability, leads in my opinion to focused, but also very inflexible and fragile army lists. Additionally, those play-styles are pretty straight forward with no surprise elements to count on. As a result of this, the list you will create will be very "HQ-oriented" and also very one-sided, because it will be built around a single ability. This means that you will only have good matchups against certain lists that are not tooled out to face your specific play-style. However, you will have to make ends meet against each other possible matchup, because you will not have enough variety of units, who can distinguish in different roles, others than the one they are destined for.

If you don’t choose a special character like those stated above, you will probably create a balanced army list, but also a mediocre one. Fact is that the choices of the Vanilla Space Marine codex have nothing special from their own. They are just balanced units, that don’t have notable highlights in order to make your army list competitive enough for the current metagame. By adapting to this balanced play-style, you are adapting to the typical Vanilla philosophy. You will not have large weaknesses against each possible opponent, but at the same time you will not have a certain special element to rely on. Many units, that in the Vanilla Codex count as “solid” are inferior to the same units of the other Space Marines codices regarding both their points cost and their performance on the table. For example the Rifleman Dreadnought is inferior to the Psyfleman Dreadnought of the Grey Knights, the Typhoon Speeders are inferior to the Typhoon Speeders of the Black Templars, the Devastators are inferior to the Long Fangs of the Space Wolves, The Predators and the Vindicators are inferior to the Predators and the Vindicators of the Blood Angels and finally the Tactical Marines are inferior to all the respective Marines of the other codices. Therefore the latter play-style is very disputable, due to the lack of efficiency in your units.

Finally, I believe that the solution for a decent army list lies somewhere in the middle between the above stated play-styles. One the one hand, you will need a special character, who can improve your units in order to make them more capable and give them certain advantages, in which only the Vanilla Marines codex has access. On the other hand, you must also look after variety in your units in order to be flexible and don’t lack in any aspect whatsoever. The current Space Marines metagame is undoubtedly really tough for the Vanilla Marines, but having a balanced army combined with specific elements as well as a good grasp of its capabilities, can still ensure you notable efforts in the competitive environment.


Thanks for reading
Just-a-Justicar

A few words about the Tyranid Codex. Part2

Greetings,

 First of all , I  apologize for taking so long to write this. I experienced certain “ technical  malfunctions “  that caused the loss of many hours of writing work.  From now on , I will use Word to write my text…..

Anyway , in this second part of the Tyranid tactica , I will attempt to give an analysis of the –not so many – ways that the tyranid units can be used to make a competitive list. I wanted to give a detailed analysis of each and every unit in our codex , but this is a task that has already been achieved with great success by many people before me. So , I will just recommend everyone to take a look at Loate’s Unit Tactica which helped me a lot when I started playing tyranids.  So , if you haven’t  read it yet , I would advice you to take a look before continuing with this article.

TYRANID TACTICA

First of all , I need to point out the fact that the Tyranid codex can’t really produce many  competitive lists. Most of the units  are useless or overpriced and yet,  other units seem to be a bit  “ broken “  for the gaming standards. In fact , when I go to tournaments , I rarely encounter other tyranid generals , but when I do , most of them ( if not all ) use a list that is inspired by the list deployed by the player of Team Poland during the tournament of ETC 2011. The use of this list is pretty straightforward , and utilizes the Genestealer spam , with the FNP buff to overwhelm your enemy  with some good quality close combat goodness. A very good list with great potential  and one that certainly contains the best elements of the tyranid codex.

 However,  I have to admit that my experience with this list is quite limited and thus , I am not the most suitable person to write a tactica about that. In this article , I intend to focus on the tactics that I use and my personal philosophy around it , if you will.

The  “Cell Structure “ List

It is said by many people that the tyranid codex makes a “Synergic “ army. Such a force includes units that can’t  perform well on their own,  but they rely on the mutual support of your other units to achieve their maximum efficiency.

   The tyranid army is composed by 3 distinct classes of units:

-          -The small size class , which includes all the little critters such as hormagants and termagants

-          -The middle size class which includes units such as warriors and hive guards 

      - The  monstrous size class which of course is composed by the big beasts:  Tyrants ,Trygons and the like.

-  

A tyranid general tactics should include all 3 types of models , in a way that each one supports the other. Furthermore , each unit has its own , specific  characteristics and excels at a specific role. The swarm is performing well when it is used as a single “ organism “ , that uses its physical bulk and force of numbers to  overwhelm it’s enemy.

 Thus , the Cell Structure idea , as I like to call it ,  describes an army that functions like a a living cell.

 Each cell contains a number of tiny organs that all contribute to its survival  and defensive properties.  A cell is also protected by a membrane , that prevents  all hostile factors from causing any harm to it’s more vulnerable content.

This is how I thought that a tyranid army should work. Thus , my list is based on this specific picture and tries to  fuction much like a white cell that exercises  “ phagocytosis “ to consume germs and  debris alike.

In my list , the role of the “ membrane “ is performed by Gargoyles. I use two units of gargoyles to provide cover for the rest of my swarm. Since gargoyles are pretty cheap , they become  a rather charming meatshield.  I also equip them with Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs and for a rather small point investment , I allow them to have satisfying lethality.

From this point , I fill the “ balloon “ created by the gargoyle curtain , with units that play the role of the  cell “ organisms”.

-          Hive Guards and Zoanthropes for anti-tank.

-          Tervigons for their FNP buff and a steady production of termagants

-          Flyrant for offensive support and Pref. Enemy buff.

-          Raveners for an extra forward  push

I also use genestealers , but their function is never specific , but is rather based on the way the enemy deploys , the needs of the mission and the terrain arrangement.

Furthermore , I always make sure that every wave of my units moved at  - about- the same speed. For example , the tyrant follows the gargoyles for a fast moving offensive wave , while the raveners are held back to take care of anything that resists the assault.

The hive guards are the major anti-vehicle power here , while the zoanthropes  primary role is to destroy Land Raiders and other high- AV vehicles.

Tervigons are used in a much more defensive manner .  In the beginning of every game , their sole role is bestowing  FNP to certain units. At this point , I prefer not to risk spawning termagants. This is a strategy kept for late game, when the swarm numbers are thinned down , and a fresh wave of  termagants , with the Tervigon buffs will achieve to overtake any pockets of resistance that the opponent may still have.

And that is , more or less, how  I use Tyranids. I hope that my guide was comprehensive and helpful.  Please feel free to comment and offer your criticism in the comments below.  May the Hive mind watches over us all.