Inquisitorial Strike Force, 2250p

Rangeltoft · Post by **Rangeltoft** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:21 am

Hi to you all. Most of the times I play a Radical DH army or IG, but recently I decided to try out a WH force with some added DH stuff.

This list are going to be used in a small campaign that my gaming club is runing, unfortently I won't be able to get any test games in before the campaign (every member of our small club will be in it), but would love to know what you guys think.

here's the list:

Army Size: 2250p

HQ:

Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Lord:
Weapons:Eviscerator
Wargear:Rosarius,Psychic Hood,Digital Weapons,Hexagrammic Wards
= 130p
Retinue(8 ):
3 Crusaders with Power Swords & Suppression Shields
1 Familiar
2 Chirurgeons
2 Acolytes with Mancatchers,Laspistols & Power Armours
= 136p
Transport:Land Raider,Extra Armour,Smoke Launchers = 258p
(anyone else that finds it funny that WH can make better close combat Inq.Lords then DH?)

Grey Knight Brother-Captain
Weapons:Nemesis Force Weapon & Psycannon
= 91p
Retinue:
Grey Knight Terminators(3):
Weapons:
1 with Nemesis Force Weapon & Storm Bolter
1 with Nemesis Force Weapon & Psycannon
1 with Thunderhammer & Storm Shield
= 163p
(This unit is here to give me some true fighting powers in CC, but also in the shooting face, depending on which opponenet I face, they will Deep Strike or walk)

Elites:

Ordo Malleus Inquisitor:
Weapons:Psycannon
= 50p
Retinue(5):
2 Gun-Servitors with Heavy Bolters
1 Gun-Servitor with Plasma Cannon
1 Sage
1 Mystic
= 111p
(some fire support, mostly there to make up for the short range of my Battle Sisters)

Troops:

Battle Sisters Squad(1+9):
Weapons:Bolters
1 with Heavy Flamer
1 with Flamer
Veteran Superior with Eviscerator
= 167p
Transport:Rhino,Dozer Blade,Extra Armour = 60p

Battle Sisters Squad(1+9):
Weapons:Bolters
2 with Meltaguns
Veteran Superior with Eviscerator
= 169p
Transport:Rhino,Dozer Blade,Extra Armour = 60p
(Mech Battle Sisters, should work out fine, not sure if I should try to split the meltaguns into both squads, ideas?)

Battle Sister Squad(1+11):
Weapons:Bolters
2 with Storm Bolter
Veteran Superior with Power weapon & Bolt Pistol
= 166p
(foot sloggers, not the best choice, but I didnt want a fully mech list)

Inquisitorial Strom Troopers(8 ):
Weapons:Hellgun + Targeter
2 with Plasma Guns
= 100p

Inquisitorial Strom Troopers(8 ):
Weapons:Hellgun + Targeter
2 with Plasma Guns
= 100p
(These guys will hold objectives close to my deployment zone, also move up and try to kill some harder targets)

Fast Attack:

Seraphim Squad(1+6):
Weapons:Two Bolt Pistols
2 with Twin Hand Flamers
Veteran Superior with Eviscerator
= 203p
(Smalish CC squad)

Heavy Support:

Exorcist:
Upgrades:Extra Armour,Smoke Launchers
= 143p

Exorcist:
Upgrades:Extra Armour,Smoke Launchers
= 143p
(Anti-tank and when all tanks are dead, they'll just try to kill anything they can.. like those darn SM and CSM)

Model Count: 74
Tanks: 5

Thats the list I'm planing to use for the first few games of the campaign, later on it will be 3k lists(still working on that one).

My opponenets will be: SM,BA,EC,DG (or IG),Orks,Dark Eldar,Tau (or Nids)

Comments would be great

/Cheers Rangeltoft

Demetrius · Post by **Demetrius** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:30 am

Dont know much about WHs but its got lots of scoring units which is good. Storm troopers make for good objective holders. Give the footsloggers a heavy weapon (if they can have one) like a lascannon for long range anti tank.

Rangeltoft · Post by **Rangeltoft** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:37 am

They cant have heavy weapons.. or well, they can have a heavy flamer, but that doesnt help much :lol:

Deadlydeception · Post by **Deadlydeception** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:00 am

Have you considered making some room for the bolter-crossbow combi weapons on your sergeants? They are pretty good against hive tyrants and librarians...

Rangeltoft · Post by **Rangeltoft** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:17 am

bolter-crossbow is a very nice weapon indeed against psykers, but to get them for my Storm Trooper Sergeants that would be 20p/model and right now i don't have those points to spare.. could get one instead of the power weapon on my Veteran Superiror in the footslogging sisters squad tho.

Hmm, you just gave me a great idea for a smallish anti-psyker unit to use in 3k.

/Cheers Rangeltoft

Deadlydeception · Post by **Deadlydeception** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:55 am

Cool. I thought they were only 5ish points per model. Thats what I get for recommending stuff without looking it up first

Rangeltoft · Post by **Rangeltoft** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:20 am

the bolter - crossbow itself isnt that expensive, but to upgrade the sergeants to veteran + the crossbow makes it 20p/model..

But I could always drop the power armour (on the acolytes) down to carapace and then remove the extra armour from the rhinos to include atleast one and then give the other one to my footslogging sisters.

The other idea I have is to include a elite inquistor with Crossbow + 3 acolytes also with crossbows (this would be in my 3k list) but not so sure, since I don't think I'll face that many pykers, maybe 2 - 4, and only one of those will be runing around alone

Elric of grans · Post by **Elric of grans** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:19 am

I do not wish to discourage you, but most Witch Hunters players would consider that a sub-par list. If you have built it for fluffy reasons, go right ahead, but it is not the most effective way to build a force with the codex.

Firstly, close-combat Inquisitor Lords are not worth their points --- not even close. You have an enormous points-sink there that is not going to do you much good. Most people who use Inquisitors over Canonesses would tool them more like your Elite-choice Inquisitor, as the long-range support can make a difference. Secondly, it is a law among Sisters players: do not mix mech and foot slogging. It works poorly. My personal experience has been that foot slogging Sisters are vastly inferior to mech (even in fifth edition), which is why you see almost all Sisters players turning up with a fleet of Rhinos.

Personally, I prefer extra units of Sisters to Storm Troopers (one point more, but vastly superior), but that is purely a personal choice. Many people do mix them, largely for the plasma option. I would personally suggest you drop the Evicerators from the Sister Superiors too; it is a lot of points for something that is not very good. You do not want to get into close combat; if you do, the Evicerator is unlikely to make a difference. I personally only put them on Seraphim Sister Superiors and Canonesses. Where is the Book of St Lucius, though? It is the single best item in the game, and only costs five points: it is standard to add one to every squad. The way you have equipped them is good. I always go Flamer/Heavy Flamer and Melta/Melta in my squads. I tried mixing them, but found it too frustrating: the times when you *need* the melta shot to count, only hitting 2/3 of the time can disappoint; getting two shots is a significant boost.

The Seraphim are perfect, though could use the Book too. Do not expect anything out of them from close combat; the entire book is awful in the assault phase. They cause some serious damage with their shooting (I have taken out entire squads in a single phase with just this unit), but when you assault with them your plan should be to survive to hit and run out for more shooting. Personally, I do not upgrade my Exorcists, though others swear by it; I would suggest trying it out and seeing what you think. I have also been dropping the Rhino upgrades, to add more bodies, but most would disagree with me on this. I cannot see the Dozer Blades being much use, unless the way your group plays makes them valuable.

Rangeltoft · Post by **Rangeltoft** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:56 am

Elric of Grans: You don't discourage me, I know the list is not the best one around and you're right, it's mostly based on the fluff/feel that I want for the list. I just play to have fun and much rather see a game end in a close draw then a massive victory (i.e im not a turnament player at all).

Oh yea, I knew that the Inq.Lord would come up. Yes, he is considered weak and useless by most, but if you just go for the stats, he is the same/or even better then the canoness in close combat. He can have 1 higher I (not that it matters when equiped with a Eviscerator) and WS but the again the canoness have acts of faith that that nifty Blessed Weapon.
Almost all my Inq.Lords in all my diffrent lists are made for close combat, I guess that's just the way I picture them + I love to have the land raider.

Thanks for the heads up on the book of St.Lucius, completly forgot about it.

As for the Eviscerators on the Vets, that's because I've played Chaos for to long.. were I never like to have a unit without a power fist/power weapon. I guess your right on it not being that usefull on sisters.

Here is a updated list:

Army Size: 2250p

HQ:

Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Lord:
Weapons:Eviscerator
Wargear:Rosarius,Psychic Hood,Digital Weapons
= 125p
Retinue(7):
3 Crusaders with Power Swords & Suppression Shields
2 Chirurgeons
2 Acolytes with Mancatchers,Laspistols & Carapace Armours
= 120p
Transport:Land Raider,Extra Armour = 255p

Grey Knight Brother-Captain
Weapons:Nemesis Force Weapon & Psycannon
= 91p
Retinue:
Grey Knight Terminators(3):
Weapons:
1 with Nemesis Force Weapon & Storm Bolter
1 with Nemesis Force Weapon & Psycannon
1 with Thunderhammer & Storm Shield
= 163p

Elites:

Ordo Malleus Inquisitor:
Weapons:Psycannon
= 50p
Retinue(5):
2 Gun-Servitors with Heavy Bolters
1 Gun-Servitor with Plasma Cannon
1 Sage
1 Mystic
= 111p

Troops:

Battle Sisters Squad(1+9):
Weapons:Bolters
1 with Heavy Flamer
1 with Flamer
Veteran Superior with Power Weapon,Bolt Pistol,Book of St.Lucius
= 157p
Transport:Rhino = 50p

Battle Sisters Squad(1+9):
Weapons:Bolters
2 with Meltaguns
Veteran Superior with Power Weapon,Bolt Pistol,Book of St.Lucius
= 159p
Transport:Rhino = 50p

Battle Sister Squad(1+9):
Weapons:Bolters
1 with Heavy Flamer
Veteran Superior with Power Weapon,Bolt Pistol,Book of St.Lucius
= 151p
Transport:Rhino = 50p

Inquisitorial Strom Troopers(1+7):
Weapons:Hellgun + Targeter
2 with Plasma Guns
Veteran with Bolter-Stake Crossbow
= 120p

Inquisitorial Strom Troopers(1+7):
Weapons:Hellgun + Targeter
2 with Plasma Guns
Veteran with Bolter-Stake Crossbow
= 120p

Fast Attack:

Seraphim Squad(1+6):
Weapons:Two Bolt Pistols
2 with Twin Hand Flamers
Veteran Superior with Eviscerator,Bolt Pistol & Book of St.Lucius
= 208p

Heavy Support:

Exorcist = 135p

Exorcist = 135p

Model Count: 71
Tanks: 6

I droped a few upgrades (mostly from Rhino, Exorcists aswell as most of the Eviscerators, but I didn't feel ok about leaving all my sister units without some form of close combat weapon, since I much rather have it and don't need it then needing it and don't having it.
Also added the Bolter-Crossbows, mostly just because I would like to try them out (Hopefully they'll help me take a few wounds of Daemon Princes and Flying Hive tyrants).

new list, is it better or worse?

/Cheers Rangeltoft

Elric of grans · Post by **Elric of grans** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:54 am

Rangeltoft wrote:Yes, he is considered weak and useless by most, but if you just go for the stats, he is the same/or even better then the canoness in close combat.

Who said the Canoness is any good in close combat? I may score two or three kills a game with her, but a single Battle Sisters can do that in a single turn. Her power is in her 2+ invulnerable and immunity to instant death: she cannot do much damage, but she is nigh impossible to kill. I once ran her solo into an entire 750 point Space Marine army, where she managed to survive until the end of the game. She killed two Space Marines (32 points, at the cost of 156 points), but tied up his entire army (750 points, at the cost of 156 points). Her strength is not in killing things --- look at a PK Biker Warboss for killy close combat stats --- but in her ability to completely ruin your opponent's strategy. My opponents regularly commit half their force to this one model: that means my entire army only has to face half at a time. She does very little to that half, but at least they are not taking out my more important units.

With your new list, I normally go with the Bolter on the Sister Superior (I have found it more effective), but that is purely my experience. Do not expect much out of it though; I have never once caused a wound in close combat. Though, I once tar-pitted 60 Orks for three turns with a single Sister Superior.

I would recommend trying to get the extra Flamer into the third squad, especially with how multiple flamers are now more powerful in fifth edition. Stacking two flamers and rapid firing Bolters racks up an enormous number of hits; adding in Divine Guidance makes every squad a MEQ killer. I have taken out full squads of Space Marines in a single turn from a single squad like that, though you will find squads normally need to be paired up. An extra template will also make a huge difference against hoard armies.

Personally, I would suggest thinking carefully about the Crossbows. They are great for tooling up against lone psykers, but if the psyker is in a unit (which is becoming far more common under fifth edition), or your opponent does not have one, then they are completely worthless.

All-round, this looks like a pretty solid list: I could see it being powerful. You have a reasonable gun-line holding an objective or two, with an effective strike-force to challenge theirs.