Apocalypse: Winter 2018 – Army Lists

In continuing our Apocalypse wrap-up, we move on to army lists….

Much like our normal Apoc games, we didn’t split up teams in advance.  We do this because, although some people like to build lists together, we find that gives them a strategic advantage over many of our more casual gamers.  Competitive players already have an advantage, so anything to even the playing fields seems like a good idea.  We came up with an arbitrary point limit of 180 power, but allowed people to share extra power if they wanted (because at least one player toyed with bringing a warlord titan at 200 power).  People were pretty loosey-goosey with the power levels though, but it all worked out in the end.

We originally had the first two people walk through the door be team captains, but that eventually petered out when we found that of the 9 folks playing, four of them brought chaos.   It made so much more sense to break up teams in that fashion.  The teams were a little like this:

Sam’s Imperial Fists & Friends:

• HQ:
  • Chapter Master in Terminator Armor w/ Thunder hammer, & Storm Bolter
• Elites:
  • 10x Terminators w/ 2x Cycline Missle Launchers
  • 10x Sternguard w/ 2x Heavy Flamer, 2x Combi-Flamer, & Powerfist
  • Ironclad Dreadnought w/ 2x Hunter Killer Missiles & Ironclad Assault Launchers
• Flyer:
  • Storm Raven w/ Hurricane Bolters, Assault Cannon, Multi-Melta, & Typhoon Missile Pod
• Heavy:
  • 8x Devastators w/ 3x Multi-Melta, 1x Plasma Cannon, Combi-Plasma & Armorium Cherub
• Transport:
  • 1x Drop Pod w/ Storm Bolter
• Lords of War:
  • Knight Errant w/ Therma Cannon, Reaper Chainsword, & Stormspear Rocket Pod
  • Knight Paladin w/ Rapid Fire Battle Cannon, Reaper Chainsword, & Icarus Autocannon
  • Knight Warden w/ Avenger Gatling Cannon, Reaper Chainsword, & Icarus Autocannon
  • Knight Crusader w/ Avegner Gatling Cannon, Rapid Fire Battle Cannon, & Ironstorm Missle Pod

Sam has always been known for drop pods, but once the Knight kit came out, he served two masters.   Recently, since drop pods are expensive, he tends to run knight, but you never know with him.  Also, he’s been going wild with painting various units (he had an absurd idea that he would paint up everything he owns, and is amazingly making great progress towards it), so who knew what he was going to bring?

Sean’s Eldar Force:

• HQ:
  • Spiritseer (Enhance, Drain, & Smite)
• Elites:
  • 6x Fire Dragons
  • 5x Wraithguard w/ D-scythes
  • 5x Wraithguard w/ D-scythes
• Fast Attack:
  • 3x Hornets w/ Pulse Lasers, Star Engines, & Vectored Engines
• Heavy Support:
  • Lynx
• Transports:
  • Wave Serpent w/ Star Engines, Catapults, Starcannons, & Vectored Engines
  • Wave Serpent w/ Star Engines, Catapults, Starcannons, & Vectored Engines
• Lords of War:
  • Revenant Titan w/ Cloudburst Missile Launcher & Pulsar
  • Wraithknight w/ Starcannon, Suncannon & Scattershield

Sean plays Space Wolves.  He actually has four armies, from what I hear, but he’s really a space wolf player at heart.  You wouldn’t know that from his Apocalypse army lists though because he always plays Eldar.  Eldar are pure cheese, and he likes that–but feels bad about playing them in normal games.  In apoc though, let the cheese fly!!!!

Blaine & Rob’s Tyranids (Hive Fleet Kronos):

• HQ:
  • Flyrant w/ Devourers (Catalyst & The Horror)
  • Malanthrope
  • Malanthrope
• Elites:
  • 3x Hive Guard w/ Impaler Cannons
  • 3x Hive Guard w/ Impaler Cannons
• Heavy Support:
  • 1x Exocrine
  • 1x Exocrine
  • 1x Exocrine
  • 1x Tyrannofex w/ Acid Spray
  • 1x Tyrannofex w/ Acid Spray
  • 1x Tyrannofex w/ Acid Spray
  • 3x ThornBacks w/ Devourers
  • 3x ThornBacks w/ Devourers
  • 1x Biovore
  • 1x Biovore
  • 1x Biovore
  • 1x Biovore
  • 1x Biovore
• Lords of War:
  • 1x Hierophant
  • 1x Hierophant
  • 1x Barbed Hierodule

Blaine lives out of state, and was really the deciding factor as to when we played. He was planning on coming up for another reason, so we just shifted the date around so that he would be able to make an Apoc game when he showed up. With that in mind, he wasn’t going to bring all of his models up, so I made a list for him and I to both play. We combined our points and, after some discussion, opted to go with a purely shooty list. We went with three spearhead detachments and a single super-heavy detachment, that way we could maximize on the big guns without having to worry about finicky things like troops.

Kurt’s … Titan

• Lords of War:
  • Warhand Titan

Somehow I managed to invite 9 people to the game, which is… not ideal.  Kurt showed up late and wanted to leave early so he said that he’d just stay and watch.  We all insisted that he play something, and since his listed consisted of two warhounds and a knight, he just fielded one of the models.  We wound up making him our Warmaster because, why not?

Albert’s Forces of Nurgle:

• HQ:
  • Scabeiathrax
  • Mamon
  • Typhus
• Elites:
  • Hellbrute
  • 2x Beasts of Nurgle
• Troops:
  • 15x Plague Marines
  • 15x Plague Marines
  • 20x Pox Walkers
  • 20x Pox Walkers
  • 20x Plague Bearers
  • 20x Plague Bearers
  • 6x Nurglings
• Fast Attack:
  • 1x Foetid Blight Drone
  • 2x Greater Blight Drone
• Heavy Support:
  • Plague Hulk
  • Plague Burst Crawler
  • Plague Burst Crawler

Albert has become an animal when it comes to painting for Apoc games. Unlike the rest of us, his lists seem largely varied between games because he goes out of his way to paint new models every time. This time, I believe he painted up some 80 additional models to prepare for this game–and that’s not unusual for him.

He also winds up playing alot of small units, which is atypical for Apoc, but that’s what he has. I don’t think he really has any super-heavies, much less anything painted up.

Andrew’s Threshing Khorne:

• HQ:
  • Khârn the Betrayer
  • Chaos Lord with Jump Pack: KHORNE; plasma pistol; Slaughterborn; Axe of Blind Fury
• Elites:
  • Helbrute: KHORNE; Reaper autocannon; power scourge
  • Helbrute
  • Helbrute
• Troops:
  • 5 Khorne Berzerkers: Berzerker Champion (chainaxe; plasma pistol); 4 Khorne Berzerkers; 4 × chainaxe; 2 × plasma pistol; Icon of Wrath
  • 10 Khorne Berzerkers: Berzerker Champion (chainaxe; plasma pistol); 9 Khorne Berzerkers; 4 × chainaxe; 2 × plasma pistol; Icon of Wrath
  • 10 Khorne Berzerkers: Berzerker Champion (chainaxe; plasma pistol); 9 Khorne Berzerkers; 4 × chainaxe; 2 × plasma pistol; Icon of Wrath
  • 10 Khorne Berzerkers: Berzerker Champion (chainaxe; plasma pistol); 9 Khorne Berzerkers; 4 × chainaxe; 2 × plasma pistol; Icon of Wrath
  • 10 Chaos Space Marines: Aspiring Champion (plasma pistol; power fist); KHORNE; 9 Chaos Space Marines; plasma gun; plasma gun; Icon of Wrath
  • 10 Chaos Space Marines: Aspiring Champion (plasma pistol; power fist); KHORNE; 9 Chaos Space Marines; plasma gun; plasma gun; Icon of Wrath
• Fast Attack:
  • 10 Raptors: Raptor Champion (power sword; plasma pistol); KHORNE; 9 Raptors; meltagun
  • 10 Raptors: Raptor Champion (power sword; plasma pistol); KHORNE; 9 Raptors; meltagun
  • Heldrake: KHORNE; baleflamer
  • Heldrake: KHORNE; baleflamer
• Heavy Support:
  • Defiler: KHORNE; Defiler scourge
  • Defiler: KHORNE; Defiler scourge
  • Defiler: KHORNE; Defiler scourge
  • Chaos Land Raider: KHORNE; combi-flamer
• Transports:
  • Chaos Rhino: KHORNE; havoc launcher; combi-flamer
  • Chaos Rhino: KHORNE; havoc launcher; combi-flamer
  • Chaos Rhino: KHORNE; havoc launcher; combi-flamer

Andrew only comes out for Apoc games, which is great because we get to see him, but sad because we don’t get to see him on a regular basis.  He could play Orks or Harlequins, but he always seems to play his chaos (my guess is because he has enough points painted up).

Mitchell’s Army of Super Heavies:

• HQ:
  • Epidemius
• Troops:
  • 6x Nurglings
  • 6x Nurglings
• Fast Attack:
  • 1x Foetid Bloat-Drone w/ Fleshmower & Plague Probe
  • 1x Foetid Bloat-Drone w/ Plaguespitters & Plague Probe
  • 3x Myphitic Blight-Haulers
  • 3x Myphitic Blight-Haulers
• Heavy Support:
  • Plagueburst Crawler
• Lords of war:
  • An’ggrath the Unbound
  • Mortarion
  • Scabeiathrax the Bloated

Mitchell, like many of us, has come to the realization that Apoc games, particular those with a timer in them, are easier to handle when you only have a hand-full of models.  For this reason, he only seems to bring super heavies (And apparently nurglings).  Gotta love it..

Simon’s Black Legion:

• HQ:
  • Abaddon
  • Terminator Lord – Eye of Night
  • Terminator Sorcerer
  • Demon Prince of Khorne w/ Wings & Talisman of Burning Blood
  • Sorcer w/ Jet Pack & Murdersword
  • Exalted Champion w/ Axe of Blind Fury
  • Dark Apostle w/ Black Mace
• Elites:
  • 5x Terminators w/ Heavy Flamer
  • 10x Chosen w/ 4x Melta
• Troops:
  • 10x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Plasma, Icon, & Combi-Bolter
  • 10x Chaos Space Marines w/ Plasma, Icon, & Combi-Bolter
  • 40x Cultists w/ 4x Hand Flamers
• Fast Attack:
  • 5x Spawn
• Heavy Support:
  • 3x Obliterators
  • Maulerfiend
  • Forgefiend w/ 3x Plasma
  • Defiler
• Transport:
  • Rhino
• Lords of War:
  • Lord of Skulls

Simon has long since been our resident punching bag.  He likes to deploy in the center with a balanced and fluffy list.  It’s so pretty though.

Other:

• HQ:
  • Warpsmith
• Lords of War:
  • Brass Scorpion of Khorne
  • Lord of Skulls

Since the teams were uneven and we wanted Kurt to participate, we wound up giving the other team enough points in “super heavies” (and an extra warpsmith) to even things out.  That made things relatively even power wise, and let us get on with the game.

In the next post we’ll go over the battle report….