Odd RTT list.

[bestaltan]

First I’ll say that I have been playing the two dima list, so if this list is a bust, I can always fall back on that at a tournament in two weeks. I’ve just been trying out come up with new ideas for dealing with the current meta that is independent of LOS blocking terrain or going first.

Here’s where I’m coming from:
1. My local area is VERY competitive. Pretty much everyone in my local group shows up with Harleys, Drukhari, DG, Ad Mech, Sisters, etc.
2. We do tend to play with a LOS blocking terrain piece in each deployment zone, quite a bit of obscuring terrain, and dense cover in the middle of the table to create -1 to hit in most central firing lanes. Basically Art of War style tables.
3. I can totally adjust the list to fit a Kronos patrol. I’m mono Kraken because my strategy for the list REALLY needs every CP.

Mono Kraken list:
—Swarmlord
—neurothrope
—Broodlord

—10 hormogaunts
—10 hormogaunts
—3 ripper swarms
—3 ripper swarms
—29 devilgaunts
—28 devilgaunts

—lictor
—lictor
—6 hive guard-impaler cannons (adaptive physiology)
—5 hive guard-shockcannons

—Dimachaeron

—exocrine

Strategies:
1. With 15 units, half my army goes into reserve. The lictors and the ripper swarms obviously, but also the shock cannon hive guard and either both devilgaunts units or one and the exocrine. This can create a MUCH more flexible board presence by allowing me to use the lictor strat to drop the hive guard or devilgaunts exactly where I need them turn two and three.
2. Obviously for this to work, I desperately need every CP. With this build as it currently is, I have all 12.
3. The shock cannons are there to really put pressure on Drukhari transports and DG pbc. They can also really put pressure on dreads, Ad Mech, etc. They are only 175 points, so since they are popping exactly where I can use them, they should be able to earn their points back if there are any vehicles on the table. Also, since they are exactly the same points as an acid spray t-fex, I can substitute him in if the shock cannon guard aren’t good.

So what do you think? Bust? Decent? Too odd? Might work?

[zimko]

It might work. You're going to be pretty light on the board turn 1 but I like the idea of shockcannons arriving from reserves. I'm just not sure how good their damage is since I've never used them. It's going to be tough deciding which hive guard unit to use 'double shoot' stratagem on.

[wormlord666]

If your goal from the start is to reserve them, mayby consider making a jormundaggar patrol instead to get that spell of rerolls. I read your lack of CP but consider the effectiveness of taking out the shockcannon and put in a jormundaggar exo, rerolling?
But if you plan to keep the HG, i think you’ll benefit from Kronos and it is worth the 2cp

[zimko]

Actually, jorm would cost the same CP since he'd save 2 CP on 2 uses of the Lictor strat and not needing to pay for strategic reserves. The problem is, he has to take ravaners...

[bestaltan]

I was actually toying around with Jorm too, as I can still have a pretty effective dima slingshot turn 1 with the swarmlord, even if I go full Jorm for the army. My only issue with the Jorm psychic ability is that it’s only useful turn 2and 3.

[bestaltan]

Apr 29, 2021 13:34:51 GMT zimko said:

It might work. You're going to be pretty light on the board turn 1 but I like the idea of shockcannons arriving from reserves. I'm just not sure how good their damage is since I've never used them. It's going to be tough deciding which hive guard unit to use 'double shoot' stratagem on.

The one time I took them to a major in 8th, they were wildly successful. They also had knights and other big vehicles to shoot at, so I’m also not sure how good they will be. In terms of footprint, I can always leave the devilgaunts on the table for deployment. This could also allow me to reserve either the neurothrope or the Broodlord for a psychic secondary push.

[acehilator]

Shuffling the Exo + Impaler HG into a Kronos Patrol is a no-brainer if you are already taking a Neuro and more than one unit of Rippers anyway. The cost of 2CP is a joke compared to what you get in return. Symbiostorm is probably our strongest power right now, RR1s and Deepest Shadow shenanigans are just a bonus.

[bestaltan]

Apr 29, 2021 14:12:07 GMT acehilator said:

Shuffling the Exo + Impaler HG into a Kronos Patrol is a no-brainer if you are already taking a Neuro and more than one unit of Rippers anyway. The cost of 2CP is a joke compared to what you get in return. Symbiostorm is probably our strongest power right now, RR1s and Deepest Shadow shenanigans are just a bonus.

Which is doable, given that the way the army is set up, I’d still have 7 CP after reserving everything. I’d have to REALLY be strategic with those remaining CP though for my ideas to work.

That said, symbiostorm is incredible until you run into -1 to hit, which is VERY common in my local meta. Both from army rules and terrain setup. Once you run into -1 to hit, symbiostorm loses a lot of its strength.

[wormlord666]

Apr 29, 2021 14:04:59 GMT bestaltan said:

I was actually toying around with Jorm too, as I can still have a pretty effective dima slingshot turn 1 with the swarmlord, even if I go full Jorm for the army. My only issue with the Jorm psychic ability is that it’s only useful turn 2and 3.

I have het to test it but I think 30 devgaunts in jorm, adaptive physiology for +2 in cover, smack catalyst on them and you have 30 obcec bodies that shoot a whole lot and does not die to just everything...


You will miss Krakens fall back and charge, your dima might get tarpitted.

[kazetanade]

Shockguard are swingy. They go from nearly 1 shooting a Knight to dealing half wounds on Double Shoot.

Its the EXACT same problem as Doomstalkers and DDAs. D6 shots into D6 damage? High volume D3 into D3 just means you never spike high enough to change the state of the game.

The other issue is lack of rerolls to wound. Harley shock bikes are great because they have a consistent high volume shooting and reroll to wounds, so they WILL proc an inordinate amount of MWs. Shock cannons going into a PBC will do

(Average) 12 shots, 8 hits, 3 wounds and 4MW. After saves, 1.5 wounds for 3 damage (T7 gets 2 wounds for 4), so 7-8 damage taken in total. You'd need an extremely high number of shots (at least 15) to score a Rhino kill, and full reroll to hit to secure a PBC.

It would work alright into DE raiders, assuming the -1 to hit doesnt screw you over.

I'm downvote on symbio in any meta where -1 to hit is prevalent. It basically becomes worthless on HG, and only serviceable on Exocrenes (who are the main beneficiaries since day 1 anyway, HG were always the side kick...)

I would go Jorm for your setup. Most armies not SM have severe difficulties digging out an Enhanced Resistance HG behind Obscured on a 3+ save. Even in vision, they're not easy to take down, and are far less susceptible to Bolters and other common anti-infantry fire than the usual targets (zoeys and gaunts).


You do not need the cp if you ditch the Dima plays. I would not really consider Dima plays in Jorm, but yes its technically doable, as long as you use it for a game winning play instead of throwing it at their face any the first chance.

A very very very very funny (but quite possibly NOT FEASIBLE) consideration for Jorm is for dropping a mixed ranged/melee damage unit in, Lurking Maws the target, then get stuck in. Of course, its stupid in that your target is an enemy instead of your own unit, but its *there*.

[piersonsmuppet]

Avg MW's for shock is 5.3, 1 MW on 4+ and d3 MWs on 6+. If Jorm, you will be hitting their target w/ Lurking Maws when the HG come in from reserves, which boosts it to ~7 MWs. Jorm seems like a great addition; your reserves can all benefit from Maws, and you have enough different weapon profiles to allow situational use of Maws.