pathwinder14 said:
Explanation:
Let's say (for argument's sake) you go second.
First point. Your opponent has nothing to shoot at on their half of turn one. With no squads on the table they have no targets.
Right.
So with nothing to shoot at they instead move to either secure objectives and/or set up firing lanes for the incoming Deathwing squads.
Second point. One or two squads deepstrike on turn ONE.
Right, so your opponent will only have 5 or 10 models models on the board for two turns, and they will be within range of all of your weapons.
Two Deathwing squads with Assault Cannons will take up just about 1/3 of 1500 pt army. (and at least one more Deathwing squad must be in reserve to bring in two squads on turn one)
At 5 models per squad, it will be easy to force saves by the Assault Cannon terminator as well.
Third point. They do so on the edge of your opponent's deployment zone. This cuts off a crucial enemy unit or vehicle.
Well for one thing you are assuming that there will be no scattering of the incoming Deathwing squads (unless guided by Ravenwing bikers, they following the standard Deep Strike rules), and I am not clear as to how the location mentioned is going to “cut off a crucial enemy unit or vehicle”?
It is only 5 models in a tight, base-to-base circle (perfectly sized to fit within a terminator-busting Vindicator round). Easy enough to move around, or close enough to make rapid-fire fairly easy as well.
Fourth point. They have Teleport Homers. Once the first squad is on the board no other units of Deathwing terminators will deviate.
Sorry, no Teleport Homers for Deathwing.
Only Ravenwing bikes will have Teleport Homers.
Fifth point. On the subsequent turns you drop pod in your dreadnoughts (you had better have two of these). These represent a new threat to your opponent and he/she now suffers from being between them and your terminators (hammer and anvil).
Well, provided that there are any terminators left after being on the receiving end of two rounds of concentrated fire.
Seriously, there is nothing else for your opponent to target. Throw enough at them and even Terminators will eventually fail their 2+ saves ( and this is not counting the large amount of AP2/1 and Rending weapons available as well).
Also those Dreadnought Drop Pods (and any remaining Deathwing held in reserve) will be arriving at the whims of a die roll (I have seen units held in reserve never arrive during a game).
Further, in addition to 750 +/- pts of Deathwing you mentioned above (just for 3 squads), those two Dreds and DPs will use up another 300 +/- pts (or more if you want Lascannons or extra armour or Ven Dreds).
Sixth point. Those drop pods are essentially walls and you can place them to direct the flow of your opponent's army on the field.
Two drop pods do not make a wall.
(just an FYI, Deathwing will not have access to Drop Pods)
Seventh point. Get a gun drop pod and land raiders to make it more nasty.
Oh, sorry, no Gun Drop Pods for the DA (unless you are counting Forge World models, if so then IA brings in all kinds of options for the opposition as well).
Land Raiders are a good and expensive choice.
Lets see, MotDW, 3 DW squads, 2 Dred w/Drop Pods, and a single Land Raider will leave you less than 100 pts left over in a 1500 pt list . Which is not enough for another DW squad, but could be used for for extra stuff (like a DW Banner, or TL Lasconnons for the Dreds).
All in total that provides only about 20 models and only 6 scoring units.
A tough play in any mission with objectives.
I'm not saying it's not beatable; it is. What I am saying is that the army can almost play itself. It would be hard to lose with them (all Genestealers or World Eaters may do it).
Seriously?
Those one or two Deathwing squads that arrive on turn one will have to be carefully placed and played in order to survive two round of dedicated fire from say,
- A "
guided" squad of Fire Dragons,
- Or a Vindicator (or two),
- Or an Assault Squad with three plasma pistols (and a Vet Sgt with a Power Weapon),
- Or a Predator Annihilator,
- Or Devastator Squad with Lascannons,
- Or a full squad of Tau Crisis suits rapid-firing plasmas with Markerlight bonuses,
- Or a charge from a full brood of Genestealers,
- etc., etc.
I doubt that a Deathwing Army will “play itself” against any decent opponent, regardless of the army they are using.
Seriously, I would love for my opponent to only set down one or two 5-man squads so that they are within rapid-fire range of my entire army, and then give me two rounds to shoot at them before he brings in the rest of his army onto the board (especially if those 10 models represent about half of his army).
Venerable Dred