Versatility in List Design - Raptors

Warhammer 40,000 – I'm been grinding through list building using a force based around Liass Issodon. The basic idea is, to get good at playing the core of the force so I can swap around the other elements to expand my options. Ideally the parts I swap around will help to make a more balanced take-all-comers still list. I feel like my original idea force is geared toward taking out high value targets quickly, but it might have a hard time in a war of attrition.

Here's the original core list I came up with.
Battalion (+3 CP)
HQ – Liass Issodon
HQ – Chaplain
Elite – Chapter Ancient
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Company Vets (4x melta-gun, 1x Combi-melta)
Elite – Relic Sicaran Battle Tank
Elite – Vindicare Assassin
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and heavy bolter
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and missile launcher
Troop – Scouts with shotguns, Sergeant with Power Fist
Dedicated Transport – Landspeeder Storm with Heavy Flamer
Flyer – Fire Raptor with Autocannons

This feels like if can be strong I just need to figure out when to pop out of the shadows. My gut tells me to do it turn one and get off an alpha strike, however saving them for turn 2 or three might give me a better shot as a clean up force. This is going to take several play-throughs before I have a good feel for what each unit can do. I might be putting to much faith in snipers being able to remove support characters.

The other thing I need to look at is the distribution of the regular melta guns. It seems that the combi-melta is superior in every way when points allow for it. I might take the four regular meltas an mix them in the squads to even things out.

Expanding on my basic idea, which let me get a few of my favorite Forgeworld models on the table, I came up with this alternate list which fills essentially the same roll but features only Liass from Forgeworld and gets me an extra command point. Eventually I may want to take this list to events and sometimes the locals get surly about Forgeworld models.

Keeping with the idea that more command points are good and realizing that I might need to throw out more mortal wounds I came up with this:

Battalion (+3 CP)
HQ – Liass Issodon
HQ – Chaplain
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Vindicare Assassin
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and heavy bolter
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and missile launcher
Troop – Scouts with shotguns, Sergeant with Power Fist
Supreme Command (+1 CP)
Lord of War - Relic Typhon Siege Tank
HQ – Librarian jump pack, combi-plasma, force staff
HQ – Librarian jump pack, combi-plasma, force axe
HQ – Librarian jump pack, combi-plasma, force sword

Rolling with seven command points this should be pretty effective at putting out multiple wounds in a turn. The three Librarians will also give me access to each of the marine powers, and the jump packs should allow them to be mobile enough to be relevant every turn. I'm not sold on it but I could see this being pretty effective. The "Titanic" vehicle could be overkill, but my thought on this one is the scout force is clearing the way for the big guns to lay siege to a vital position.

The last list I came up with using the same core brings a few more bodies to the table:

Battalion (+3 CP)
HQ – Liass Issodon
HQ – Chaplain
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Company Vets (5x combi-melta)
Elite – Company Vets (4x melta-gun, 1x Combi-melta)
Elite – Vindicare Assassin
Elite – Chapter Ancient
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and heavy bolter
Troop – Scouts with sniper rifles and missile launcher
Troop – Scouts with shotguns, Sergeant with Power Fist
Dedicated Transport – Landspeeder Storm with Heavy Flamer
Heavy – Predator with 4 lascannons
Outrider (+1 CP)
HQ – Librarian jump pack, combi-plasma, force staff
Fast - Assault Squad (2x flamers, power fist, melta bombs)
Fast - Assault Squad (2x flamers, power fist, melta bombs)
Fast - Assault Squad (2x flamers, Pair of Lighting Claws, melta bombs)
Dedicated Transport – Razorback (assault cannons, storm bolter)
Dedicated Transport – Razorback (assault cannons, storm bolter)
Dedicated Transport – Razorback (assault cannons, storm bolter)

One paper I think this might be my strongest take-all-comers list. The Assault Cannon Razorbacks are no joke and the Assault Squads should be pretty decent. I'm hoping thrown the melta bombs will work out better than using them in assault. Since it's no longer a piece of gear that everyone has access to it's possible that these guys will surprise some tank commanders.

Once I get some of the commissions I have in my que done I'm going to focus on getting the first list painted to a high standard. Eventually adding the components of the others in this post to have some good options. Although with the Marine Codex dropping in a week I might get completely distracted and start work on a Shrike based force instead.

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