Bladed cog 1.5k - looking for advice

[hivefleetkerrigan]

My FLGS has a league coming up and I'm planning on running 1.5k of bladed cog. I'm looking for advice on the list, secondaries, etc. For models, I have most characters, tons of neophytes, some acolytes, and genestealers. I'm a bit lacking in the vehicle department (one ridge runner and one Goliath) I might be able to borrow some if that's a better approach.


++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [76 PL, 9CP, 1,497pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)

Cult Creed: The Bladed Cog

Detachment Command Cost

Insurrectionists

+ Stratagems +

Gene-sire's Gifts [-1CP]: Extra Relic

+ No Force Org Slot +

Nexos [3 PL, 50pts]

Primus [4 PL, 80pts]

Sanctus [3 PL, 70pts]: Cult Sniper Rifle

+ HQ +

Acolyte Iconward [4 PL, 75pts]

Jackal Alphus [4 PL, 80pts]

Magus [4 PL, 80pts]: Power: Broodvolt Surge, Power: Mental Onslaught, Relic: The Unwilling Orb, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Single-minded Obsession

+ Troops +

Acolyte Hybrids [3 PL, 60pts] 5x flamers
Acolyte Hybrids [3 PL, 60pts] 5x flamers
Acolyte Hybrids [3 PL, 60pts] 5x flamers

Neophyte Hybrids [8 PL, -2CP, 202pts]: Stratagem: Xenoform Bionics
. Genomic Enhancement (Alchemist Supreme): Enhanced Resilience
. 20x total, icon, 4x seismic, 4x grenade launcher


Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol
Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 120pts] 10x total, icon, 2x seismic, 2x grenade launcher


Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 120pts]10x total icon, 2x seismic, 2x grenade launcher

+ Elites +

Aberrants 4x + sarg 165 points Proficient Planning: A Trap Sprung
Biophagus [3 PL, 65pts]: Alchemicus Familiar, Proficient Planning: Alchemist Supreme
Reductus Saboteur [4 PL, 80pts]: Relic: Oppressor's Bane

+ Fast Attack +

Atalan Jackals 4x + demo charge [7 PL, 65pts]
Atalan Jackals 4x + demo charge [7 PL, 65pts]

++ Total: [76 PL, 9CP, 1,497pts] ++

[kazetanade]

One thing I have to say is that Bladed Cog seems to lend itself well only to Abberrants in a war of attrition playstyle. I havent seen BC been successful with any other variation of list, and initial trials I had with Deep Supplies yielded mediocre results. BC's only other unique feature is their WLT, which at first I thought can be leveraged via 15 Handflamers, but the cost of which is really heavy and only good in a heavy investment - all the things that make it bad dont get improved at all.

That said, if you're deadset on BC, I would advocate at least 1x10 man Abberrants with Xenoform. Most weapons that do well into Abbies are AP-2 or AP-3, which is great into a 5+ 5++. The additional -1D and 5+++, as well as a Transhuman that you can choose when to use, will frustrate a lot of players that rely on doing strong alphastrike damage to you before you can respond/get value.

Going onto your list, you have far too many Characters for 1.5k; at 2k, I run anywhere between 5 to 7, and that's because I have too many buffs required in early list designs. You can easily afford to lose the Alphus and the Sanctus, without impacting your gameplan. That's 150pts for you to work with immediately, right there. And before you justify them, I would like to point out that your list has barely any shooting involved, you can get by with just the Nexos, and the Alphus has a difficult time drawing LOS to her target *in the command phase*, before she gets to move, unless you deepstrike her with the Neophytes - and make herself completely obsolete.

The Iconward is nearly 100% irrelevant to your list, and is an easy drop as well. +1 to charge for a single unit that may or may not be coming down the front is not worth 75 pts.

The Saboteur is also a weak pick - again, you dont have that much shooting, you dont need another Xfire applicator. You need units that make use of them. If you drop the Alphus and the Saboteur, you can bring 2 Ridgerunners to instead give you access to 6 shots S6 ap-3 3D, which is going to be a big deal into the incoming Terminator meta, and is a highly relevant profile vs many armies, and keep the Sanctus who can be your 2nd Xfire applicator.

You can trade the Iconward with a Kellermorph, who is one of the all-stars of the codex, as with the relic and with A Perfect Ambush, he's a threat to most units in the game- he only cant deal with heavy tanks. And also of good fun, the boy is capable of coming down, shooting, moving, charging, eating overwatch, then shooting when he dies again. Very tricksy.

Moving on, your gameplan and secondary game - standard secondaries of EoAF and RND I think are givens. TTL or a Psychic Interrogation tend to be popular 3rds. You can build towards these.

[hivefleetkerrigan]

Thanks for the advice. I updated the formatting of the list above (I wasn't sure if some of the elements of the list were being lost due to formatting). I currently have about 450 points of shooting neophytes (grenades + seismic). I'd brought the nexos, alphus, and iconward to support that shooting element.

I did have a test game against DE and it went well (69-42 victory). Iconward + units with icons basically always guaranteed I'd get max 6 regenerating neophytes per unit in range per turn. For secondaries, I'd taken engage, priority target, and the cult one for blowing up objectives.