Topic of the Week: Allies

[Lost Nemesis]

Although the Adeptus Astartes are by far one of the most powerful and feared armies of the 40k universe, even they appreciate the tactical advantages of bringing some friends to the fight. That's what this thread is about - allies.

Grey Knights, Sisters of Battle, the Inquisition, Death Watch Marines, and anything else (codex or chapter approved), discuss it here. What allies, if any, do you like to take? What points level? Do they accomplish anything your regular Marines couldn't on their own? How do they fit in your army?

Do you run a Vulkan/Sisters of Battle spam list? Maybe a Pedro/Sternguard/Grey Knights list?

Discuss!

[kevin vanrooyen]

I ocasionally pop some ST's from my guard in with my marines as IST's. A couple meltaguns or a meltagun and a plasma gu and they're good to go. They never last but when you have 5 troops choices in 1k points and you roll seize ground.

[MaleOpener]

For a second HQ choice, I like to take an Iquis Lord so I can field a Vindicare Assassin.

The VA makes a nice addition, to my sniper scouts, plus can "take care" of most of the problems I could face.

As for the Inquis Lord, it depends on the opposing force. A WH gains nice protection from Eldar/CSM psyhics, while the DH give a nice punch with their psycannon bolts.

[Necronsrule368]

My mind turned to cheese when you said the Vulcan list. :')
I might take some GKTs just so I can paint them and they are awesome.

[Mathlete]

My name's Mathlete, and I like Sisters of Battle. I'm sorry, I had to say it.

The Vulkan twin linked rule is wonderful, as it applies to all melta/flamer weapons in the army, as opposed to just those squads with combat tactics. However, it also leaves you somewhat lacking leadership wise, and there's some argument about what it doesn't apply to (namely inferno pistols - I say not, and hand flamers - I say it does).

But an oft overlooked option is the Dominion Squad; I don't think arming them with meltas is that cost effective - they're more expensive then sternguard, and only a little cheaper than sternguard with combi-meltas. I prefer the following set up;

6 x Dominon Squad; Vet Superior, 4xFlamer, Immagifier - 136pts
- Immolator; Holy Promethium, Laud Hailer - 85pts

Even without Vulkan, 4 flamer templates plus a TL Heavy Flamer that causes auto morale check is an awesome way to take on a horde squad, or remove an enemy for an objective. Two things;
1) Threat assesment - this unit should be a low priority the first time you use it against any unwarey opponent, especially if you've got other units that look scarrier (cc terminators, land raiders, vindicators) but believe me that when they jump of of the immolator and flame a squad to death (good placements should see you rolling easily 30+ dice to wound, rerolling with vulkan) they will immedietly become a target. Which leads nicely onto -
2) Use divine guidance; AP1 on a six to wound is awesome against MEQ and equvilants if you're rolling enough dice. With Vulkan giving you a reroll, this gets better. Furthermore you've got a chance (as it is part of the domminion squad) to get the immolator at AP1 (with reroll), which then cause a morale test. You only get one faith point from the squad, that is until you take your first casualty, remove the vet superior, and get to do it all again the next turn.
Spirit of the Martyr is also useful when the squad starts to get targeted by enemy fire for a solid 3++ save.

[Bob Dole]

Just one little trick I noticed recently, if you really want to bulk up on allies, is the option of taking two allied HQs with Black Templars. The Emperor's Champion counts as your mandatory HQ choice for the army, but doesn't take up any HQ slots. I'm not quite sure why you'd want to do it, but I fully intend on playing around with it and finding out if there's something neat.

[Mathlete]

Here's a little list taking sisters as allies;

Vulkan; 190 (With Terminators)
Cannoness; Inferno Pistol, Braizery of Holy Flame, Book of St Lucius - 75 (With SO

5 CC Terminators; 5x TH/SS - 200
-LR Reedemer; Multi Melta - 250

10 Tactical; Flamer, Multi Melta, Power Fist - 195 (IS)
1 Rhino; 35 (IS)
10 Tactical; Flamer, Multi Melta, Power Fist - 195 (IS)
10 Sisters of Battle; Vet Superior, 2x Flamer, Frag Grenades - 146
- Rhino; Holy Icon, 60
9 Sisters of Battle; Vet Superior, 2x Melta, Frag Grenades - 142
- Rhino; 50

6 x Dominon Squad; Vet Superior, 4xFlamer, Imagifier - 136pts
- Immolator; Holy Promethium- 75pts

1749

The only argument you're going to have is wether the braizary counts as a flamer. I argue that it does. If you've got a really nice opponent they might let you use the inferno pistol with a reroll, but it's neither a meltagun nor multi melta, so you porbably can't reroll with it.

Ok, the Cannoness goes some way to solve the leadership problems that Vulcan led armies have; you've got an unmodified leadership ten for anything within 6". also +1ld to anything near the holy icon. Everything in the army is set up to take advantage of the vulkan rerolls. Flamers with rerolls are awesome - couple with the rending that Divine Guidance gives your SOB squads. With the 5 faith points you start with, you aim is to spend them on your Dominion and flamer SOB squads to get as many AP1 chances as possible.

[MaleOpener]

Vulkan's abilities with the Sob?

Never thought of that.

Man, that would turn out to be a "sick" list...

[InquisitorAffe]

Furthermore you've got a chance (as it is part of the domminion squad) to get the immolator at AP1 (with reroll), which then cause a morale test.

Sorry to inject rules discussion into the thread, but that is entirely false. The transport is a separate unit in every respect.

-

I usually play pure sisters, but I also have an army based on the 'Vinculus Crusade' fluff from Codex: Black Templars. It's not the most competitive thing in the world, but it does round out the BT list some. The cheaper infantry from WH go a ways towards compensating the numbers issues you run into with two Land Raider Crusaders in your army. And there's no army anywhere that doesn't stand to benefit from having a couple Books of St Lucius roaming around.

[Mathlete]

Originally Posted by InquisitorAffe

Sorry to inject rules discussion into the thread, but that is entirely false. The transport is a separate unit in every respect.

Ah, ok. I thought, as it's a dedicated transport it would be effected by the squads rules, in the same way that dedicated transports get outflank when you take Khan.