So, despite everything you’ve decided to play a Deathwing army. Good for you, but now comes the hard part – actually winning. No one can guarantee that you will, but here at least are the basics you need to know.
First thing to keep in mind are the advantages and disadvantages of your army (assuming a “pure” Deathwing force that potentially includes only Terminators, Dreadnoughts, and Land Raiders):
Advantages:
1) Rock-hard Infantry: Terminators are the best infantry in the game. Great stats, decent firepower, and fantastic armor. However, don’t get too carried away with them. They may be nice, but can wither quite quickly in the right (er, wrong) circumstances.
2) Rock-hard Vehicles: Dreadnoughts are arguably the best class of walkers out there and Land Raiders the best tanks.
3) Flexible Deployment: With Deathwing Assault you can land your forces most anywhere and thanks to Drop Pods your dreadnoughts can come along as well. You also aren’t limited to this all or nothing approach – some units can setup normally while the rest teleport down.
Disadvantages:
1) Fewer Troops: Given how expensive your forces are get used to be outnumbered – usually greatly – every time. It’s important to do what you can to negate this problem whenever possible.
2) Limited Firepower: You get less firepower for the points. In the past when terminators could take two heavy weapons it wasn’t nearly as bad, but now you are scraping the bottom of the barrel. This is especially true if you play ultra-pure and only take infantry.
3) Limited Mobility: After landing, with the exception of Land Raiders, you are stuck moving six inches a turn. That means that if you find yourself out of position getting back where you should be will be difficult if not impossible.
Putting this all together you get what I would call the five most important imperatives when playing Deathwing:
1) Keep Track of Your Objectives: Every scenario has some and they are obviously the key to victory. This straightforward requirement for all generals is all the more important for Deathwing – you simply don’t have the resources to waste. Figure out what you need to do to win the game and focus on that. Nothing else matters, not even per se the survival of your troops. So, unless it’s an objective don’t get caught up hunting down your opponent’s biggest unit or mindlessly increasing the death toll. Also keep in mind what the minimum objectives are for victory. Sometimes, the most basic win is the only practical win.
2) Location, Location, Location: It is vital to setup your forces as efficiently as possible. Tactical redeployment isn’t going to be an option – you need to make sure your units start and end where they are best needed. Take a few extra moments before you start to think through this. Mess this up and you’ve likely already lost.
3) Split up the Battlefield: What I mean by this is to use terrain and even your own troops to dominate one area of the battlefield and leave as many units of your enemy standing around with little to do. For example, if there is a large terrain piece in the middle of the board deploy (if the objectives allow it) all to one side and use the terrain to screen your troops from attack. A related possibility to do use dreadnoughts with drop pods to setup an artificial screen – all your troops go in the same direction leaving only relatively valueless pods for the enemy on the other side to fire on. The aim here is to gain local superiority, if perhaps only for a turn or two. All your troops take on only a fraction of the enemy’s total force.
4) Avoid Attrition Battles: It’s a simple matter of the rules – in 40K all things being equal quantity tends to trump quality. Therefore, don’t put yourself in situations where you’ll be swamped by numbers early or often. Against horde armies this likely means setting up normally and giving yourself more turns of firepower to hopefully even up the odds. Alternatively, you may have to sacrifice one unit as a speed bump while the rest of your troops secure objectives.
5) Make Firepower your Friend, not Enemy: Remember that you’ll tend to have less firepower than your opponent so it is important to use what you have well. Don’t waste shots on low probability efforts unless the objectives require it (this is something that proper deployment can mitigate). This might literally mean shooting at a more distant target while other units are threatening to charge down your throats. You have to go for the win, not just the survive so sometimes units need to sacrifice themselves to take out high priority targets. The need for firepower is why I like taking a dreadnought or two over pure infantry forces as they provide a wider range of heavy weapons.
That’s all for now. Later on I’ll go into specific applications and troops choices.
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The new Warriors of Chaos codex may be a Warhammer book, but in it there are plenty of possibilities for 40K. Primarily, it contains all sorts of models that can be used as fodder for conversions. Using a fantasy model converted over to work with 40K can be a great way of making what would otherwise have a pedestrian appearance into something interesting. Likewise, as all the models are from Games Workshop they are by definition acceptable at any tournament.
The first obvious question is what you might use these models for. This is partially a matter of personal taste and imagination, but two armies come immediately to mind – Chaos Marines and Imperial Guard. It’s too bad that the Lost and the Damned is no longer an “official” army as it would be the true obvious choice.
For Chaos Space Marines you can take any Chaos Warrior model and use them as marines with just a back pack or weapon added. For instance, I really like the Chosen models. You can convert them into marines just with the addition of a power armor backpack. Likewise, just adding a bolt gun to a Chaos Warrior makes for a flavorful, visually distinct model. The Chosen are metal and therefore both more expensive and harder to convert, but the warriors are plastic. Making them fit a Chaos Marine force would be a snap.
Imperial Guard would use the marauders as substitutes for regular troopers. Being plastic they could be easily combined with Catachan arms for basic lasgun armed soldiers. You could also just add the occasional rifle or pistol and otherwise leave the models unchanged if you play them with the warrior weapons doctrine (although, this may not be an option in the upcoming codex update). Marauder Horsemen are an obvious “count as” for Rough Riders, although Chaos Knights are another option. Ogres might work for Ogyrn, although I’d argue that Ogre Kingdom models are a more effective choice.
Beyond these there are more specific possible applications of Warriors of Chaos models. A number of the character models could be converted over for 40K work with just some basic work. Once available, the new Daemon Prince will offer a lot more options than are currently available (even if the current 40K version is already a great model). How about using the Hellcannon barrel as a replacement for the superstructure of a Basilisk?
In my opinion, the best use of Warriors of Chaos is just to add a lot of color and visual excitement to any 40K army. Fantasy models often tend to be richer in detail and atmosphere than their 40K equivalents. They will also be more enjoyable to paint, if more requiring more effort. However, the end result is apt to be an impressive force that’ll grab the attention of anyone who walks by (which, admit it, is a large part of the reason we spend so much time on our hobby). Just remember to use round bases!
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In taking my group picture of Inquisitor and crew I realized that in my previous haste to get the big man himself done for my last apocalypse game I hadn't finished some of the detail work. So, I spent some time over the weekend doing just that.
As I said before I just adore this pose and his general wild west look (but with the six-shooter replaced with plasma gun). He's a special edition inquisitor that I don't think you can get anymore, although he is the "brother" of the one you get with the Witch Hunter and retinue set. My version of the model is clearly superior, IMHO. If you want an inquisitor and can get your hands on this one, do it!
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I may think the Deathwing has been rendered all but impotent thanks to recent rules developments, but that doesn't mean I don't still like the army anyway. To prove this I present my latest finished model: A Terminator Librarian.
I've learned a few things working on this model: One, if I never have to paint another book it'll be too soon; two, I really like the pose and general look of this model, and; three, I'm still have to tweak the lighting to get the best photos.
As for the uses of a Dark Angels librarian I like all the powers he gets. For example, combining Force Barrier, a force weapon, and terminator armor makes for a pretty nasty combo. Likewise, one benefit of being stuck with the old wargear rules is that DA psychic hoods still have unlimited range. I haven't used a librarian very much with my Deathwing (I've usually used a Chaplain as he's been painted for years), but I look forward to using him from now on.
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The poor guy go-fers this and that, suffers from all sorts of abuse from his master, and may be called to take a bolter shot (or acid tentacle, plasma shot, talon ripping off his left leg, fiendish fungus making important body parts drop off, sniper bullet to the head, and -- Well, you get the picture) for him. Not the greatest job in the galaxy, but you do get to study at the side of a master. If you survive you eventually gratuate into a full Inquisitor and receive your own acolyte to torment. What could be better?
So, here is Acolyte Honorus, second-fiddle to High Lord Scoravon.
I figure that if Honorus manages to survive and do well then eventually I'll do up a full Inquisitor model converted in his guise. Then he can have his own retinue that he leads around crushing the unholy threats to the Imperium (also comes with better dential).
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Meet the Lord High Inquisitor Scoravon and his retinue:
From left to right we have a servitor with power weapon, another servitor with power weapon, a hierophant, acolyte with plasma pistol, robot (servitor) with heavy bolter, servitor with multi-melta, familiar, skull familiar, the Lord High Inquisitor himself, a mystic, and finally a sage. I also have a finished healer with I forgot to include. I can't quite take all of these at the same time and, likewise, the choice of retinue members depends on whether I use Scoravon as a Daemonhunter or Witch Hunter Inquisitor (I prefer the former).
I have to say that I really like this Inquisitor figure -- he's a special order from GW, but the pose is just great. His retinue is also fun as they come in all shapes and sizes. The one major component I need to finish is an Inquisitorial Rhino as transport.
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Here are a pair of Death Cult assassins. For 40 points you get power weapon wielding loners with an invulnerable save.
I've only taken them in Apocalypse battles when I field my inquisitor (they can only be purchased if you have one), but I find them a good buy. You can deploy them separately which means you place them wherever you need a little extra close-combat punch. They are just the thing to give a group of regular troopers that extra edge to take on more elite opponents.
I like them so much that I want to get a few more to paint up. Only, you can't find them on store shelves anymore and I haven't had an excuse to buy them direct from GW (I don't want to order online until I have a larger order -- I'm not paying shipping just for a single blister!).
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Ron over at From the Warp is beginning a series of posts on his Deathwing army, in part in reaction to my earlier post about how I think the Deathwing has been reduced to a non-competitive army. I’m looking forward to his conclusions, but before then I wanted to revisit the subject.
A couple of beginning points:
1) Just to clarify, I don’t think it is impossible to win with a Deathwing army. Quite the contrary, there is no force out there which (with equal points) has no hope of winning. My contention is that with the new Space Marine codex release it is no longer falls within the range of competitive armies in comparison to similar forces. To put it another way, when it comes to winning it now makes so much more sense to use a force out of the new SM book (or perhaps a hybrid army out of the Dark Angels book) rather than a traditional Deathwing that it is hard to justify not doing so.
2) Non-competitive is not the same thing as non-fun. I still plan on playing my Deathwing and adding more models. I’m even painting up some right now. I’m just not expecting to win very often no matter how well I play. Likewise, for tournaments I’ll bring something else.
3) And, frankly, I say this because the new wargear rules are something of a slap in the face to old time Deathwing players like me. This is especially true for the new Cyclone Missile Launchers and Storm Shields. Both really punch up terminators just in the way a Deathwing force needed, yet we don’t get them. It’s almost as if Games Workshop is encouraging us to play something else.
Musing over the shortfalls of the Deathwing got me thinking about what changes would be necessary to bring the army up to snuff. Not to make it dominating, mind you, but competitive enough to be a reasonable choice for a tournament army. So, if I was Games Workshop and writing up the new Deathwing rules I’d come up with something like this:
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HQ: Chapter Master, Marine Captain, Chaplain, Librarian, Techmarine, Command Squads
All characters and command squad members must wear terminator or artificer armor. Any character can take a command squad. Any command squad can have an apothecary using the new Feel No Pain rules. One squad can take a chapter banner. Remember, command squads count against HQ, not troops.
Elites: Dreadnoughts
All types of dreadnoughts – normal, Venerable, and Ironclad – are available. Dreadnoughts can use drop pods.
Troops: Terminator Squads, Terminator Assault Squads
Use new wargear rules. Can be as large as ten troopers.
Heavy Support: Land Raiders, Thunderfire Cannon
All types of Land Raiders – normal, Crusader, and Redeemer – are available.
General Rules: May deploy using the Deathwing Assault rules. Any Terminator Squad or Dreadnought may purchase the Tank Hunters or Furious Charge (not both) abilities for extra points.
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This force closely matches the old formula for a pure Deathwing force. The only really new addition is the Thunderfire Cannon which I included simply because its fluff and rules fit the motif of a teleporting/drop pod heavily armored force.
This army list still has all the classic Deathwing attributes – Good armor, few numbers, high cost per figure, and limited firepower (for the points). Yet, it has enough additional bits to make it competitive. Terminator assault squads now become viable options while the combination of tank hunters and the new Cyclones make Deathwing squads a real vehicle threat. Leaders plus a Command Squad with Feel No Pain actually become scary – which given the amount of points you’re paying is only fair.
What’s sad is that these aren’t really major changes, just tweaks here and there. It’s something GW could do in a White Dwarf article or even a new FAQ. By not doing so they have signaled that they no longer see a Deathwing as a competitive force. I predict that over time they’ll be proven right – without improvements the Deathwing will just fade away as players abandon it for something that works.
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