List-Fu: 1650 SW+IG+INQ for GT Final

CMON, Beamo (GW)

I thought I'd put up the list that I'm working on for the 40k GT finals in March. This list has developed from the thinking behind this post and the following discussions on the blog and at the club, so thanks to everyone who contributed their thoughts (Coyote, hornywingythingy and Jamie in particular).


As usual, this is intended to be a take-on-all-comers list but it is worth nothing that this list has not been designed to deal with Lords of War, S:D weapons or AV15, as these have been banned from the final.

1650pts Space Wolves, Imperial Guard and Inquisition 40k GT Final List
Rune Priest, Jaws, Living Lightning
(IG) Company Command Squad, Master of Ordinance
(INQ) Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, level 1 psyker (Divination) with force sword, psyocculum, 2x servo skull

(INQ) 2x 3 Henchmen Acolytes, Razorback (Heavy Bolter with psybolt ammo), 3x plasma

2x 5 Grey Hunters, Razorback (Heavy Bolter), plasma gun
2x 5 Grey Hunters, Razorback (Heavy Bolter), melta gun
(IG) Platoon;
Platoon Command Squad, 2x flamer
2x Infantry Squad
3x 1 Sabre Defence Platform, lascannon (IA 2 2nd Ed)
1x 3 Sabre Defence Platforms, each with lascannon (IA 2 2nd Ed)

(IG) Vendetta [130pts]

(IG) Heavy Quad Launcher Battery (3 guns with 9 crew) (IA 2 2nd Ed)

1650pts

CMON, LoganGM (GW)

Changes
Not as killy as the GK variant, but the loss of marine stat lines and ATSKNF potentially made the GK primary list a little too glass hammer. Keeping with SW primary, my top priority was to incorporate an inquisitor. While I have had to swap out two squads of plasma hunters for the plasma acolytes to find the points, I'm still one scoring unit up thanks to the additional sabres compared to the qualifier list. The additional plasma is also helpful against MCs, especially with 2+ saves (riptides, dreadknights).

I swapped out the 6 hyperios launchers (3x 2) for 4 additional las-sabres (1x3 and 1x1) to give me more scoring units (having lost a couple by swapping in the plasma acolytes), limit the additional VPs I was giving up in The Scouring (I take the FA version of the hyperios), give me more AP2 vs 2+ save targets (riptides, broadsides, buff-commanders, dreadknights) and a better chance to penetrate and explode AV13+ targets.

CMON meanbeautiful (GW)

Having a second psyker means that I have the option of keeping Jaws on the rune priest if I'm facing low initiative armies, such as riptide-spam without the 4d6 Deny the Witch amulet or Necrons. It also frees the rune priest up to push into mid-field to position the 24" 4+ psychic denial bubble while still having a prescience babysitter for the quads. I also have the option of 3 rolls on the Divination table, aiming for Perfect Timing but always being able to have one Prescience for the quad launchers. I find that perfect timing works best hopping between with the squad of 3 sabres, CCS and quads, depending on the targets.

CMON, ThirdEyeNuke (GW)

Playtesting
I've run this list in a couple of test games now (2 out of my 6 games since October!) and am very happy with how it's holding together so far. The first game was vs Tau (buff commander, riptide, missile 'sides, skyray, sniper team with ethereal and min troops) with White Scar allies (Khan, 2x 5 grav bikers, 4 FW hyperios launchers) in Big Guns, resulting in a 13-0 win to me (I had 4/5 objectives and killed the ethereal, secondaries aren't used to determine the result at the GT). To be fair it was one of those rare games where I was rolling hot and my opponent had terrible luck at key times, so it would normally have been much closer!

CMON, Ringil (GW)

The second was vs Eldar (6 serpents, 2 FW hornets and a night spinner, all with holo-fields and led by an autharch) and somehow I pulled out a 16-0 win in The Scouring (I had all but the 1VP objective and killed both hornets, secondaries as above) having been on the back foot early on thanks to getting hammered by all the quality firepower. I honestly thought I'd lost this one by turn three, but kept at it and focused on eliminating one enemy scoring unit at a time. Both great games!

Analysis
As 6th has develops I find myself wanting more extreme firepower to deal with the top hard to shift units, specifically anything with a 2+ or 2++ re-rollable saves, AV13+ spam and lots of very high toughness MCs. This means I need more high strength, low AP shots, more torrent anti-infantry shots, good sniping ability and as much ignores/force a re-roll cover saves as possible. The inquisitor, quads, las-sabres and plasma all help here, topping up the rune priest, CCS and MoO, vendetta, razorbacks and various small arms fire that have been in the list for some time.

Summary
It will be interesting to see how the list holds up against other armies, but I think it has a decent chance and covers the usual bases pretty well - multiple mobile scoring units (if only temporarily mobile!), troop hunters, can-openers, monster killers, fly swatters, combo-breakers and minimal secondary VP targets, plus some decent psychic defense. Extreme lists will be a challenge and Purge The Alien is always difficult with MSU (but not the auto-loose many would expect), but by focusing on the mission and making it difficult to finish off scoring units I hope I have at least a fighting chance against any other list. Time will tell!

As always, thanks for reading and any thoughts and comments welcome!