[darkreever]

Alright, lets see what can be suggested to give you idea's for this list without trying to push a complete and utter rebuild of something boring and/or unfluffy for what your aiming for.

HQ: Seth 160
Astorath 220

A personal rule I've always gone by when it comes to HQ's is never spend more than 15% of your total points on them. This helps to prevent your army from becoming to top heavy and overwhelmed from the start.

At 2k, 15% would mean 300 points and your using 380. Not terrible, its 19%, about a fifth of your total points; so I am going to suggest dropping one of these two guys, preferably Seth because at least Astorath is faster and does not have to (forget if he can or not) join or hide near another unit and make it more expensive.

Troops: DC (9)- Fist, T Hammer, Power weapon x2 265
+Rhino with Ex Armor 65

For this unit I would say cut down to eight, swap the hammer out for a fist (assuming its more points then your spending more for what is essentially a powerfist) and I would very much advice swapping the rhino out for a storm raven.

That'll up the number of ranged threats you can produce and will allow you to make use of some of those extra points.

Assault Squad (10) with JPs-SGT with Power Sword and melta bombs, melta gun and flamer 265

I'd suggest a powerfist over the weapon and bombs, and doubling up on special or heavy weapons where possible helps to increase their overall effectiveness.

So if your key on the power weapon, than I would suggest a pair of flamers; if you go the fist then I'd suggest a pair of meltaguns.

Tac Squad- SGT with Power weapon-flamer and Las cannon 195
+ razor back- las cannon and twin linked plasma gun- ex armor-105

Actually I rather like this squad so I say leave it as is, maybe consider going twin linked lascannons for greater effect.

Elites- Furiso Dread- blood talons, extra armor, heavy flamer - 150
+ drop pod-35

Consider the magna grapple, possibly over the heavy flamer. Its not like this guy can assault on the turn he comes in, but you never know when you'll make some insane rolls and pull something into his reach. Did that once to a raider full of incubi and an archon, priceless.

Sang Priest- with Jump Pack and Corbulo 180

Not bad, maybe drop Corbulo down to a regular if you want some more points elsewhere but otherwise fine.

Honor Guard- Blood Champ, Power fist, l claw - 175
+ rhino- ex armor-65

I would very much advise dropping this unit. Its what? Five single wound models in a rhino? Thats nearly the cost of a unit of terminators, and they have neither the save or invulnerable save that those hulking marines do, hell only two, three tops, have weapons that ignore saves in combat.

I'd very much suggest dropping these guys in favour of another unit of assault marines, maybe eight strong in order to even out the points between these two units.

 

[darkreever]

optimizing units within a weak overall structure does not lead to a list that works. Good point about keeping it fluffy, but I don't think your critique (while spot on) will fix the overall issues with the list.

Sometimes in the end, it is more fun to not take tons of the same thing despite the fact that doing so will see you win nine times out of ten. For some, the challenge is more fun, being able to get better with 'weak' choices and finding out how to actually make them work rather than conform to the nay sayers of said units. (I gave this very notion a try with possessed, a unit many chaos players will quickly tell you is complete rubbish even though it is most certainly not.)


Was the must have's comment aimed in my direction? Because I can answer that rather easily: I have no must have unit choices, only a select few must have setups to be honest.

 

[darkreever]

but if we're talking about "fluffy yet competative"

Remember that in this case it is fluff, fun, and then competative; that can lead to implications that winning holds some bearing but is not as important as the first two. (Though you have to go with the assumption that the poster is stating the most important first.)